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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26431279">The Beacon Stories: Team NITE - Year 2</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silentcelica/pseuds/Silentcelica'>Silentcelica</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Beacon Stories [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Future, Gen, Humor, Post-Volume 3 (RWBY)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:54:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>136,550</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26431279</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silentcelica/pseuds/Silentcelica</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Neela Xiao Long leads Team NITE during their Second Year as more friends and foes join the fray. Will our heroes survive another year at Beacon? The story is heavily OC based but features the regular characters frequently. Chapters will be uploaded on Weekends. - This is the 2nd story in a series of 4.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Coco Adel/Velvet Scarlatina, Qrow Branwen/Winter Schnee, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Beacon Stories [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/870204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Blood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Year 2 begins for our heroes, but a new villain makes themself known...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Neela stood on the edge of the cliffside, standing beside the graves that belonged to both Summer and Raven as she stared out at the landscape below and kept her bow trained on an area where she was sure that she had just seen a Nevermore roosting, preparing to take it down once it took off again for some reason, whether it be that it noted that there was a human nearby, or one of the many packs of Beowulves in the area decided to chase it off in defense of their territory. Her dark blue leather armor which covered her torso kept her warm in the waning light of the summer, fall was around the corner and school had already started, she'd been in class for a few weeks, though things seemed to be off to a rockier start than her first year. She padded something in on the touch screen on her wrist, choosing an earth arrow to take down the beast as she took a deep breath and knelt, settling in and using her semblance just long enough to make sure it was still in the same place that she had last seen it. Her bangs blew in her face and she brushed them out of the way with her hand, staying steady as she felt the wind pick up, reminding her of the beads that she wore that Eliana had customized for her. Violet had given them to her after discovering them in her daughter's bedroom after the girl had left for Mistral.</p><p>She did her best to act like things were going alright, though she could feel herself unraveling at the seams every time that the memories crossed her mind. Eliana had left her too quickly for the two of them to resolve anything that had happened, so it was hard for Neela to be sure if the two of them were on the best of terms or not. She forgave Eliana days after she'd tried kidnapping Shadow, and in her mind, none of what had taken place was by any means the fault of Eliana, but she wondered if Eliana still felt that it was. She tried to hold on to the fact that Blake assured her that Eliana would come back on her own terms, but the wait was killing Neela and in turn, her grades and her performance. She shook the thoughts off. The best thing that she could do for herself was not to think about it. Thinking about Eliana never resulted in getting anywhere, it only made Neela feel more anxious than she needed to. She drew the arrow back, preparing to kill the monster before it could take flight, running out of patience waiting for it to leave.</p><p>"Neela," came a voice from behind her that took her off guard and she stopped for a moment, lowering her bow slowly and she turned carefully in disbelief, as though she didn't want to scare them off much like she wouldn't want to scare off something that she was hunting. She shook violently, her chest knotting up as she found her best friend standing across the meadow, tears streaming down her face as she brushed her purple hair out of her face and before placing her hands down at her sides, staring at the ground instead of making eye contact with Neela. Neela stood slowly, putting her weapon and arrow away as she moved slowly before sprinting to Eliana and throwing her arms around the girl. She was warm… her aroma was intoxicating, there was no way that this wasn't Eliana, this had to be her, finally! Neela felt tears in her own eyes as she held tight to the girl and shook her head.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Neela sobbed. "Whatever I did that made you want to leave, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! We can start over, we can just be friends if that's what you would rather do…" Eliana cut her off with a kiss, her lips soft and warm, Neela mewling as she gave in to Eliana's tender embrace, holding Eliana tight as the girl's advances filled her with a renewed sense of liveliness. Eliana's lips were more amazing than she ever could have dreamed and being this close to her and finally sharing something that she'd desired for so long. It felt… perfect. It felt perfect. It felt…</p><p>
  <em>Perfect.</em>
</p><p>Eliana disappeared, leaving Neela alone on the cliff, her body shaking with rage and sorrow as she turned out to the cliff and slowly pulled herself back to her perch before the land gave way beneath her and she was falling, the world cracking and crumbling around her before there was nothing left and she fell into a body of water, naked as she slowly sank towards the bottom if there even was one. She refused to breathe, though the water felt amazing on her skin and filled her with familiar warmth. Where was Eliana? Was she dreaming again? Did she give herself over to the feeling that was overtaking her? After a while longer she had no choice but to take a breath and as she did she emerged from the pool, now dressed in Athena's clothing as she wielded the woman's sword.</p><p>"Neela!" Ebony yelled as the scene formed before Neela. The temple constructed itself around her, rocks and bricks shifting and uncrumbling into place as Crimson joined the Panther Faunus and they knelt before her as she sat on the throne. "The humans, the ones that survived the attack at Beacon, they're attacking!"</p><p>"What should we do, Mistress?" Crimson asked. Neela looked at her hands as she dropped the blade, it crashed against the floor, the sound thundered in her ears as if it was the only sound that had ever existed, forcing her to cover them quickly as Crimson and Ebony stood their faces contorting before disfiguring and finally settling on Athena's, both of them identical and staring hard at Neela as they came closer and she tried to back away but found that the room was closing in.</p><p>"You betrayed us!" Athena shouted.</p><p>"Betrayed the White Fang!" The other Athena screamed.</p><p>"You'll pay for what you've done!" The first insisted. They ran their blades through her and as she flinched, she found herself in the hallway of the cabin, Eliana's body destroyed by Yang's punch as she stood over the girl, her eyes filled with rage as she glanced towards the kitchen at Neela, pointing at her with a wicked grin and sauntering over, hunched as her arms swung with her movements.</p><p>"This is all your fault!" Yang cried out. "If we'd left you to die in that hut, Eliana would still be alive!"</p><p>"Athena never would have come after us," Blake spoke softly, grabbing Neela's shoulders and pulling her back down into the abyss forming below her. Neela reached out for something, anything, only to see Eliana's body transform into a Grimm and surround Shadow.</p><p>"No!" Neela called out. "Stop this!"</p><p>"We'll always betray you!" A voice stated as Neela landed, sitting in class and noting Eliana standing at the lectern, Shadow tied up beside her, the small girl's eyes filled with horror as she thrashed and called out for her sister to save her but no sound came out of her mouth. "We'll always betray you, Neela. Just like you betrayed the White Fang. It was your destiny!"</p><p>"I refuse to believe that!" Neela shouted as she stood.</p><p>"Neela," said another version of Eliana who banged on the door behind her. "Neela! Get out of there!"</p><p>"Elli!" Neela called out as she ran up the steps but they seemed to continue extending, she couldn't get any closer to the Eliana that she needed.</p><p>"I'm not coming back," both of the Elianas exclaimed in unison.</p><p>"You have to! I forgive you!" Neela cried.</p><p>"I don't deserve it," Eliana whispered. It filled Neela's thoughts as she was allowed up the steps and she crashed through the door. She found herself in the school hallway, Eliana was nowhere to be found and the locker doors crashed open and closed around her, throwing papers everywhere. Neela used her semblance but couldn't find her friend… if only she tried harder!</p><p>"Neela!" Called another voice that she couldn't quite place but she ignored it. "Titus!"</p><p>"Not again," Titus replied.</p><p>"Come on, Neela," Eliana spoke now standing at the end of the hallway. "We can be together forever, just like you wanted."</p><p>"Elli!" Neela shouted again, sprinting for her as she turned the corner and out of Neela's sight. "Wait!"</p><p>"What do we do?" Ilia asked, her voice echoing in Neela's mind.</p><p>"Go in and try to wake her up, I'll get Jaune and Ren," Titus declared.</p><p>"Right," Ilia agreed. "Neela, if you can hear me, we need you to wake up!"</p><p>"What?" Neela asked as she stopped for a moment at the mention of her name again.</p><p>"Aren't you coming?" Eliana asked from around the corner, just out of Neela's sight.</p><p>"Yes!" Neela asserted, sprinting after her once more.</p>
<hr/><p>"This can't be good," Ilia noted as she forced herself in and appeared in the White Fang temple, confused by the manifestation of this room as she looked around for Neela or any clue as to how to wake her. "Neela. You have got to wake up, I don't know what you're seeing or you think that you're doing right now, but in the real world you're having a nose bleed and your Aura is decreasing rapidly. We gotta get you up before you crash."</p><p>"It's better this way," Neela's voice stated as Ilia turned around to find Neela in her normal battle attire sitting on the throne, though Ilia found herself unnerved at the fact that the girl was wearing a White Fang mask.</p><p>"I don't believe that you're Neela," Ilia stated as she held a defensive stance against her friend.</p><p>"You think that someone else is in here with us?" The Neela asked as she stood and chuckled.</p><p>"That's not it," Ilia corrected. "I think that you're one of Neela's misguided ideals of how she should be." The clone threw its head back and laughed, Ilia could see its eyes glowing through the mask.</p><p>"She's the misguided one," the clone offered. "I'm how Neela was meant to be!"</p><p>"I know you don't believe that!" Ilia shouted out into the temple. The clone looked around amused.</p><p>"It's just us," the clone laughed.</p><p>"Shut up!" Ilia demanded. The clone stood slowly and cracked its neck.</p><p>"Good, I prefer killing humans," it claimed. Before Ilia could move she found an arrow in her chest and Neela had grappled to her, her blade running through Ilia's torso. Ilia looked at her wide-eyed. "You really have no idea how strong I am, do you?"</p><p>"And you were too busy in Atlas to know that I've gotten stronger too," Ilia coughed. She faded, a second Ilia impaling the imposter as she chose fire Dust. "This is my playground." Neela's eyes shone brighter and she chuckled.</p><p>"I wonder what will happen to you if she crashes while you're in here!" The Fang Neela exclaimed.</p><p>"Here!" Eliana shouted as she disappeared and the real Neela entered the temple.</p><p>"Ilia?!" Neela exclaimed. The fake ran the blade through her own body, also impaling Ilia who grunted for a moment before disappearing once more.</p><p>"Just who I wanted to see," the clone sneered.</p><p>"Ilia, get out!" Titus called from the void.</p><p>"I… I need to help!" Ilia replied through Neela's mouth. Titus looked at Jaune and Ren.</p><p>"I don't know what's going on in there, but we're going to force her body to shut down," Ren explained. "You need to get out."</p><p>"Okay," Ilia replied. She stumbled out of the body into Titus as Ren injected Neela with a needle full of blue liquid that shattered Neela's aura, stopping her body on the spot.</p><p>"What was going on in there?" Jaune asked.</p><p>"I… I'm not sure…" Ilia told him. "Her psyche began fighting itself… I don't know if it's just my semblance, but it felt real."</p><p>"That's the way your body just interprets what's happening while you're in someone's mind," Ren assured her. "She'll be fine. She just needs to accept the fact that Eliana might not be coming back soon." Titus assisted the men with moving Neela to a stretcher and followed along with them as they took her out of the building, leaving Ilia alone in the room.</p><p>"It's the fourth time in two weeks," Ilia sighed as she watched them out the window. "You can't keep going on like this."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>NITE Year 2</strong>
</p><p>Year two is underway at Beacon and we're a couple of weeks into the new semester. We find ourselves following CBLT on an unexpected mission that came up that morning, delivered to them early, before they were even awake, by a message from Coco Adel the school's lead tactical instructor among other things, asking them to investigate an unusual gathering of Grimm that had gathered in the Emerald Forest, almost 15 minutes outside of Vale. The team has been on a tear so far to begin the school year, a determination and fire burning inside of them passionately as they find themselves in a position to pass NITE as the top team of the second years. They're currently in the heat of battle.</p><p>The most handsome member of the team and charismatic, Cobalt Thénard, leads the team with cunning wit, flawless to a fault in the instruction and directing of his teammates who rely on the finality of his decisions to ensure their every victory. Without them they would be lost, nothing, a couple of extras that had been haplessly tossed together to form a team with no driving force, save Tawney's desire to destroy Neela in every way possible. Yes, it was quite clear that if Cobalt wasn't there to head up their operations they surely would have died by now. But where would such brilliance be without a team to support him?</p><p>Bái Lung was the forever optimist of the team now that Lykos had helped her overcome her previous insecurities. Short, quiet, and cute, the girl was more dangerous on the battlefield than Lykos and Tawney combined (though obviously not Cobalt because, I mean, come on. It's hard to top perfection). The ice powers that resided within her didn't seem to feed off of her aura, letting her fight longer than the others could, and it seemed unnatural. When she'd come to the school there were rumors that she was a demon, but if she was, she was the kindest oni that Cobalt could recall. She had little recollection of her past, only noting that after she'd woken up from a supposed coma, she was offered a place to stay if she attended Beacon.</p><p>Lykos Asimi. He had that kind of bad boy feel and didn't say much, though it appeared he was always thinking and contemplating something, wearing that anomaly of a Grimm pelt, as everyone knew that when a Grimm was killed they dissolved to dust. He was a bit of a hard-ass, to begin with, but in much the same way that he made Bái feel accepted, he lightened up a bit after they started dating. He was a little less doom and gloom, and he might have smiled… once? Maybe twice? I don't quite recall the details.</p><p>Tawney Lupara was the punk of the team. Edgy. Listened to punk when she wasn't jamming to Casey Lee Williams. Probably skateboarded in a past life? The girl had been dubbed as the Maniac of Mistral as she hadn't lost a single fight in her time participating in Haven's illegal fighting ring which had ultimately cost her the safety she had once known after refusing to throw a fight. She had one goal in life. Beating Neela Xiao Long at anything and everything. Thumb wrestling, fighting, arm wrestling, regular wrestling, eating, sleeping, spending more money at the Dust shop, better grades, you name it. It was probably the least memorable rivalry in all of history, but at least Tawney was convinced that they were rivals and it drove her to become better anyway.</p><p>You know, if you haven't read Year One, it might be better if you go read that and then come back here and find out what we're in the middle of. It'll make way more sense and considering the fact that NITE already had their opening scene if I introduce them later like this it's just going to seem lackluster, isn't it? Yeah, go check that out first.</p><p>"Cobalt, I don't know who the hell you're talking to, but could you maybe help us out?!" Tawney shouted as she blasted an Alpha back towards Lykos who wrapped his whip around its neck and removed its head from the rest of its body. Bái held back even more that were coming in with a wall of ice as she gave everything she had to keep it sturdy as a mass of Alphas crashed against it on the other side. Cobalt leapt down from his cliffside perch and assessed the situation, which was mostly a review of what Coco had explained to them that morning. Something wasn't adding up, which was ironic to think, considering the fact that the Grimm <em>wouldn't </em>stop adding up in the area.</p><p>Zephyr's Lookout was a popular spot for families in the surrounding Vale area, as well as tourists, to camp out in the kingdom's countryside due to its seemingly supernatural ability to deter Grimm from entering the site. It was almost as if there was a barrier or agreement amongst the Grimm that the area wasn't to be touched. It had remained that way for as long as anyone could remember, since the naming of the bluff shortly after the Great War after the Vale hero General Zephyr. 100 years it was safe from danger, but this morning all hell had broken loose. Cobalt tore through a few of them with his sword, splitting it in half before leaping back with Tawney.</p><p>"Does anyone else hear that noise?" Lykos asked them as he and Bái fell back as well.</p><p>"Just barely… what is it?" Tawney asked.</p><p>"Some kind of electronic scream, right?" Bái noted.</p><p>"That could be bringing them in," Cobalt offered, "But it sounds too far off. We haven't been able to find anything that would bring them here specifically. We can't leave until we finish off the rest of these Alphas, I doubt that the survivors made it too far into the city yet."</p><p>"We're going to be late to class," Bái replied nervously. Lykos placed a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"This is more important," he told her. Tawney nodded.</p><p>"Anyone else running low on Dust?" Tawney asked. Cobalt was beginning to worry. Their numbers seemed to be dwindling, but how much longer could they hold out. He glanced at the ice wall, noting that it was beginning to crack and that at any moment now their break would be cut short and it would be back to fighting the beasts. There was one trick he had up his sleeve, but he thought it best to wait to play his ace. The fact that so many Alphas had been gathered here was also disturbing. Beowulves traveled in packs, but more often than not they only had one Alpha leading them, the Alpha's usually fought each other over the food. Unless…</p><p>"Wall's going down," Lykos pointed out.</p><p>"Showtime!" Tawney laughed as she charged into the shattering ice. Lykos created a Goliath that caught the Beos off guard, growling at it as they knew it meant to steal their kill from them. It stamped and huffed at them, forcing a couple of them back and into Bái and Tawney's attack as the others either ignored it or attacked it. Lykos managed to bat a few of them away before it dissipated.</p><p>"Still struggling with manifesting?" Cobalt asked. Lykos grimaced.</p><p>"It's not like your clones," Lykos explained, tossing a few of his shuriken to Cobalt. "It uses psionic energy or something like it, and it uses a lot of my aura." Cobalt shrugged as he formed his clone and pointed towards the far side of the clearing. It nodded and took off.</p><p>"I get it," Cobalt noted. He stabbed one of the Alphas getting too close to him and threw it back towards the mass. "I really hope we get some back up soon, you'd think that Coco would have thought something was wrong when we didn't come back yet."</p><p>"She probably just thinks that we're off on another one of your dead end schemes again," Tawney noted. "What are we stealing this time? Maybe the last of the Dust in the Vale reserve?"</p><p>"Funny!" Cobalt replied sarcastically. After the attack by the Stardust Gang, in coordination with the attack at Beacon by the White Fang, a majority of the Dust used to power Vale's reactor was either lost in the several explosions that took place, or from contamination due to the debris and dust caused in the confusion. Vale had the least Dust it had ever seen since the Great War, and the SDC was doing everything that it could to find more, but without access to Menagerie over the fear of an attack or worse, they were having little success.</p><p>"You ready?" Lykos asked.</p><p>"Yeah," Cobalt noted. His clone threw the shuriken out in a spread, allowing Lykos to pull them back in quickly with his electromagnets, the stars ripping through the horde as Tawney ducked under one of them and glared back at him, smashing an Alpha in the face without looking.</p><p>"Could you be a little more careful?" Tawney asked. Lykos smirked as he joined the fray with his whip formed again.</p><p>"That wouldn't have killed you," Lykos noted.</p><p>"Sounds like a lame Cobalt excuse," Tawney replied, rolling her eyes with a chuckle.</p><p>"I heard that," Cobalt noted.</p><p>"Good!" She yelled back. "Now get in here! And where is that clone of yours?"</p><p>"Give him a minute!" He shouted. Cobalt sighed. "You think I don't know the drill?"</p><p>"I think you're having us do all of the hard work," Tawney grunted. She slammed through a few of the Grimm, chasing down the clone and connecting her tonfas before blasting him off of the cliff.</p><p>"It's a good thing that my clone and I don't share experiences with each other," Cobalt pointed out.</p><p>"Good for you," Tawney said. "I'm sure that he has feelings too." Her eyes lit up and she smashed several of the Alphas into bits as another pack came in from further out in the woods.</p><p>"More?" Lykos exclaimed.</p><p>"Bái!" Cobalt announced over the chaos. "It's time!" She smiled and nodded.</p><p>"Right!" She agreed as she swung her staff around over her head before pointing it in front of Cobalt, forming a giant lens made of ice.</p><p>"Perfect!" He noted.</p><p>
  <em>*RECOMMENDED PERCENTAGE… 75%*</em>
</p><p>"Sounds good to me!" Cobalt declared as he formed the blades back into one sword and charged the core.</p><p>"They're coming quickly!" Tawney shouted as she broke an Alpha's jaw.</p><p>"It takes a few seconds," Cobalt explained.</p><p>"Lykos!" Bái yelled.</p><p>"Let's see what I've got," Lykos said. The Grimm were coming closer at an alarming rate and Cobalt was unsure that he'd get the shot off.</p><p>
  <em>*REDUCE POWER TO ENSURE SURVIVAL*</em>
</p><p>"No…" Cobalt grunted as he poured his aura into it as quickly as he could. "Just a few more seconds…" Lykos tried for another Goliath but it was torn apart quickly.</p><p>"What?" Tawney mumbled in disbelief taking care of the last one from the first mass.</p><p>"They don't seem like they're in a rush to get here…" Bái tapered off.</p><p>"It feels more like they're running from something," Lykos offered. Bái quickly lifted her staff, freezing the feet of the front row and they trampled over each other.</p><p>
  <em>*75% POWER ACHIEVED*</em>
</p><p>"Awesome!" Cobalt hollered as he blasted the laser through the lens and it cut through the entire army of Grimm like scissors through paper. They exploded, a cloud of dark matter rose up from the woods and scattered on the wind into the atmosphere.</p><p>"Yes!" Tawney shouted nearly tackling Cobalt as she threw her arm over his shoulder. "That's the stuff right there! At this rate, we might pass NITE by the end of the first quarter!"</p><p>"Crazier things have happened," Lykos pointed out.</p><p>"We might make it back in time for second period!" Bái stated excitedly.</p><p>"Maybe," Lykos shrugged.</p><p>"We have a Dust reserve to stop at first," Cobalt said with a wink. Tawney shoved him hard and began walking towards Vale.</p><p>"No," she stated.</p><p>"It was a joke you know!" Cobalt called after her. There was a blood-curdling load roar that stopped the four of them in their tracks and rendered them motionless for a few seconds before they turned around to look at it. A Beowulf that had far more plates than that of a regular Beowulf, and was probably twice as big as an Alpha. "G-G-Guys!"</p><p>"What the hell?!" Tawney asked.</p><p>"An Omega?" Lykos mumbled.</p><p>"I thought they were extremely rare!" Bái shouted.</p><p>"We've never seen one before, so it stands to reason they are," Cobalt pointed out. An Alpha only became an Omega if it lived for at least a hundred years, and that was after the ten years that it took to become an Alpha. Cobalt readied his blade. "We can't let this thing get into town." They all nodded.</p><p>"Right," they answered in unison.</p><p>"Same song and dance as always," Cobalt instructed as he took a moment to stretch as it roared at them again. "Bái, immobilize the thing. If it won't stay put, Lykos can distract it. Tawney can bring the thunder and I'll bring the lightning."</p><p>"You do understand that that analogy makes no sense," Lykos informed him.</p><p>"I'll think of something better later," Cobalt replied. The Omega slammed his fists on the ground, shaking the team as Bái second-guessed herself and took a step back.</p><p>"We can do this," Lykos assured her, placing a hand on her back to stop her.</p><p>"Right," she agreed, lifting her staff.</p><p>"We need to do something quickly because he seems to have a few tricks!" Tawney commanded tackling Bái out of the way and leaving Lykos and Cobalt to dive away. The Omega had lifted his head up as they reassured Bái, gathering energy in his mouth before firing at them and causing an explosion. It threw Bái and Tawney a way down the path towards the road which was all downhill. Cobalt quickly moved to his feet and glanced at Lykos.</p><p>"Keep him busy!" Cobalt yelled. Lykos nodded and charged in, manifesting a decoy that the Omega simply ignored.</p><p>"He's not really paying any mind to it," Lykos noted.</p><p>"I noticed!" Cobalt yelled out.</p><p>
  <em>*ONLY 10% RECOMMENDED TO AVOID BEING LEFT WITH DANGEROUSLY LOW LEVELS OF AURA*</em>
</p><p>"That won't even be enough with Bái's lens," Cobalt groaned. "I knew we should have waited longer to do that."</p><p>"Back up plan?" Lykos asked whipping at the beast that seemed mildly annoyed with them.</p><p>"Tawney as soon as she gets her ass back up here…" Cobalt quipped. Tawney flew past them on an ice path, slamming into the Omega and forcing it to take a step back.</p><p>"I heard that!" She shouted.</p><p>"That's why I said it!" Cobalt argued.</p><p>"Less fighting each other," Bái pleaded as she slid in and attempted to freeze its feet. It easily kicked off the ice, roaring at them once more, this time the soundwaves throwing them away.</p><p>"What do we do?" Lykos asked Cobalt as he slammed into a tree and grunted in pain. Cobalt had slid away and thought over their choices.</p><p>"We could let Bái go unrestricted," Cobalt suggested.</p><p>"Over my dead body!" Lykos shouted. "You know how that went when we tried it a few weeks ago! Tawney nearly caught hypothermia because it took us so long to free her from the ice!"</p><p>"You got a better idea?" Cobalt groaned.</p><p>"We call Coco?" Lykos questioned raising an eyebrow as he shrugged over exaggeratedly.</p><p>"I mean… that's one option, but we got this," Cobalt sheepishly offered as he peeked around the tree he was taking cover behind. The beast fired again, destroying the tree covering Cobalt and throwing him off of his feet.</p><p>"Do we?" Lykos shouted irritated. Tawney rushed back in again, sliding through its legs and landing a few decent blows before it swatted her away towards the cliff.</p><p>"Tawney!" Cobalt shouted as he rushed back the Grimm and sprinted for her. An ice wall caught her just as she was about to roll off and Cobalt slid to a stop, chuckling nervously before helping her up. "I'll call Coco."</p><p>"Not a chance," Tawney refused as she headed back in.</p><p>"Check your scroll, Tawney!" Lykos demanded. "We're all running pretty low!"</p><p>"That means we still have some left!" Tawney pointed out.</p><p>"That wasn't the take away from that conversation!" Cobalt yelled at her. Tawney managed a few more hits, this time avoiding his arms as they swung around, though was quickly met with the creature's tail. It batted her into Cobalt and the two of them tumbled away from it as it roared one last time before turning its focus towards Vale. It glanced back at Cobalt and Tawney before rushing down the hill like a freight train.</p><p>"This is bad!" Bái exclaimed.</p><p>"Should have called Coco!" Lykos announced before grabbing Bái and giving chase to the monster.</p><p>"Blame Cobalt!" Tawney yelled shoving him off of her and following her teammates. Cobalt stood and sighed as he surveyed the area. They secured the bluff, hopefully they'd at least get positive marks for that much.</p><p>"We'll take it from here!" Someone shouted as they flew by faster than Cobalt could see. The force of the speed threw him off of his feet before littering the area in rose petals.</p><p>"Guess that saves me from having to call the school," Cobalt noted as he stood and watched the scene unfold.</p><p>"You kids stay back!" Ruby demanded as she landed in front of the creature that roared at her and she smirked. "He's a big one, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby's smile faded as she glanced past the beast to note that Qrow was only now reaching Zephyr's Lookout. "You're getting slow in your old age!" He took his human form, landing next to Lykos and Bái.</p><p>"We can help!" Tawney exclaimed.</p><p>"You heard her," Qrow stated. "Best you kids stay back and take notes."</p><p>"You ever seen one this big before?" Ruby asked.</p><p>"Once," Qrow chuckled as he leapt over its tail and met the back of its arm with the flat of his blade as it swung back at him. "No sweat." Ruby chuckled.</p><p>"Sure," she agreed, rolling her eyes.</p><p>"Backup's here!" Cobalt stated as he joined his team again.</p><p>"Shut up," Tawney demanded.</p><p>"That's fair," he grumbled.</p><p>"Let's see what he's got then," Ruby said as it roared at her and she planted her scythe, the force blowing past her.</p><p>"You really want to fight this thing?" Qrow asked as he walked around to it, deflecting another blow from the beast.</p><p>"You scared?" Ruby pried. He laughed.</p><p>"No, but we could just get rid of this thing with a flash from your eyes," Qrow pointed out to her.</p><p>"That would be boring," Ruby groaned. The beast charged up another blast in its mouth, firing only to have Qrow swat it back and it stumbled away and roared from the explosion.</p><p>"We were having the worst time with this thing and they're just playing with it," Cobalt told his teammates.</p><p>"I guess we have a ways to go yet," Bái considered.</p><p>"You were hoping for a fight," Qrow guessed.</p><p>"Yeah," Ruby pouted "The kids must have taken care of all the Alphas because this seems to be the only Grimm left in the area." Ruby took a step forward, swinging her scythe around the monster's torso and pulling her trigger, firing a shot that effectively cut the beast in two. Cobalt hit his knees.</p><p>"We're not worthy! We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" He repeated before Tawney lifted him up by the collar.</p><p>"Can you try acting normal for once!?" She requested.</p><p>"Great job, Team CBLT," Ruby told them as she walked towards them with Qrow. "I look forward to seeing you all again tomorrow during the medal ceremony."</p><p>"We're honored," Lykos replied as the duo walked past them back towards the bluff and CBLT headed back towards town. The council had contemplated their options for quite a while before deciding to honor the students that protected the school during the attack with a medal identifying them as heroes, as well as a ceremony for publicity purposes. Yep, it was just another day…</p><p>"It's tomorrow already, huh?" Bái's thoughts meandered.</p><p>"Crazy to think that we were there," Lykos added.</p><p>"Crazier to think that there were no repercussions from Glynda for being late," Tawney included.</p><p>"I'm guessing we'll get ours at the same time as NITE," Cobalt noted. There was a long pause between the four of them.</p><p>"Do you think that Eliana is going to be there?" Bái asked. Lykos, Cobalt, and Tawney gave each other a knowing look before Lykos pulled her close.</p><p>"We can hope so for Neela's sake," Lykos pointed out. Ruby and Qrow watched them disappear over the road before turning their full attention to the campsite.</p><p>"Do we know what happened," Qrow questioned. "Or more appropriately, why it happened?"</p><p>"Maybe they were all running from the Omega?" Ruby offered as she picked up parts of the littered tents and backpacks.</p><p>"They wouldn't have stopped to attack if that was the case," Qrow pointed out to her.</p><p>"Hard to say then. Last time we saw anything cause Grimm to gather like this was when we were in the possession of the lamp, but those old relics are all still locked up," Ruby stated. "Not to mention, what is that strange noise?" They were silent for a few seconds. "Do you hear it?"</p><p>"Probably just a strange frequency coming off of the nearest CCT relay, hard to say," Qrow explained.</p><p>"Guess we should probably get Coco and the police force out here to be a little more thorough," Ruby suggested as she removed her scroll and glanced over at Qrow who was taking a long swig from his flask. "I thought you were done with that stuff."</p><p>"I was done with the last few drops of what was in here before," he chuckled as she shook her head. "You have to admit that I've cut back."</p><p>"Sure," she agreed, rolling her eyes. She discussed the conclusions that they'd come to for a long couple of minutes before hanging up her scroll and motioning towards Vale with her head. "She said that they can take it from here." Qrow nodded.</p><p>"Why is it every time that we come into town something like this has to be taken care of?" Qrow asked. Ruby shook her head and began walking for the city.</p><p>"I feel like you're exaggerating slightly," Ruby noted.</p><p>"There was that stray Goliath that had wandered away from the pack a month ago, and Athena before that," Qrow reminded her as he joined her.</p><p>"Athena is a little different, it was our duty as council members to get rid of her," Ruby said. "Besides, that's the whole reason we're here this week anyway. Even if it was Raven who finished it off, those kids did a great job holding their ground."</p><p>"I'm not saying they don't deserve recognition…" Qrow began.</p><p>"You're just saying that you're getting too old for this?" Ruby pried with a smile. He shoved her and laughed.</p><p>"Not that I'll ever admit," Qrow replied with a smile of his own.</p>
<hr/><p>Then the area was silent for a long couple of moments as the wind swept over the lookout, tattered tents slapped in the breeze, a reminder of the carnage that had suddenly tidal waved over the bluff and destroyed everything in its path. The campfire was nothing more than embers that held on desperately to stay alive, only to be extinguished minutes later by the officers that showed up to check out the area. The water hissed as it greeted the last signs of the raging flame that once lit the area the night before, washing over the charred wood and mixing the ash in a mess of dirty liquid. The officer stood slowly as Yatsu placed a hand on her back.</p><p>"I really feel that I would be better suited for freelancing," she told him with a sigh.</p><p>"Coco wanted to further your training with the department, Cerise," he reminded her. "It's really not a bad idea to get a feel for things from the pros."</p><p>"I understand that, but all we've done so far is show up after the action has already happened," Cerise groaned.</p><p>"Excuse me!" A voice called as a woman appeared over the crest of the hill. She came into view, several other lackeys wearing lab coats trailed slightly behind her as she was clearly leading the group of scientists. She wore black high heels, stilettos that she commanded with so much of a saunter that she could have easily won over any man without having to speak a single word. She completed the look with a black leather skirt that was somewhere between a mini and micro skirt, and a matching black strapless tube top. She wore her lab coat open, flowing in the wind as she walked directly for them, determined to speak with them before they made another move. Cerise noted her golden eyes, contrasting well against her garnet-red hair that was short and combed back, almost giving it a slicked look.</p><p>"We're going to have to ask you to leave the area," Yatsu told her, raising his hands up as they continued to approach. The woman ignored him, stopping only inches from him as she reached into her coat and removed an ID that she held too close to his face for him to possibly be able to read.</p><p>"As am I," she told him. "Silvia Blood. This area was being used as a testing site for new equipment for the council and they're already going to be pissed off that I told you that much." Yatsu took the badge from her and shoved her a step back which seemed to anger her as she tried to wrench her identification back away from him but he held tight. It was official, her name was indeed Silvia Blood, and with the council's insignia stamped on the card, he couldn't deny the fact that she had indeed been hired by them to do some kind of work.</p><p>"What kind of equipment?" Yatsu asked as he handed it back to her. She snatched it back quickly, fixing her glasses and folding her arms.</p><p>"You must be a special kind of dense," Silvia replied. "I already told you as much as I can without completely compromising this operation. Leave! Otherwise, I'll be forced to inform my supervisors!"</p><p>"Fine, we're leaving," Yatsu replied as he waved Cerise to him. "Let's go!"</p><p>"But Ruby didn't even know what was happening out here," Cerise argued. Yatsu stared at her for a long moment before looking back at Blood.</p><p>"They don't teach kids anything these days, do they?" Silvia asked as she placed her hand over her face and spread her fingers. "We're with the Vacuo council. Olesia sent us. Council members get one pass a year during their meetings to refuse to give up information on a project if they fear that another kingdom is going to interfere."</p><p>"You're an awfully far way from Vacuo," Cerise stated as she joined Yatsu. Yatsu glared at her and Silvia chuckled with a smirk.</p><p>"She's quite observant, isn't she?" Silvia noted. "There aren't any Alpha's in the desert, so we needed to come here in order to test it."</p><p>"Test what?" Cerise pried once more. Silvia sighed.</p><p>"Leave!" She shouted at them suddenly. Yatsu strong-armed Cerise and pulled her through the crowd of lab coats.</p><p>"Yatsu," she strained against him.</p><p>"She was sent by the council," he explained, dragging her back to the car. "Even if something seems off, there's nothing we can do about it." Blood waited for the car to drive off before she looked at the campsite and shook her head.</p><p>"Those damn kids ruined any data that we could have collected!" She shouted balling her fists up. "Dammit!" Her body heaved and she opened her hands, they shook as she swallowed hard and steadied her breath. "A minor annoyance, but not all is lost. It operated as intended. Collect any samples that you can and once Fenris gets here I'll have him take care of the device."</p><p>"That had better be some kind of joke!" The man shouted from a nearby tree, watching them from above before leaping down. "You know how much I hate the sound that thing puts out."</p><p>"Strange, most people today couldn't even hear that it was all that close," Silvia pointed out with a smirk.</p><p>"Remind me why I put up with you again?" He asked. The man seemed out of place among the scientists, looking more like the rejected leader of a biker gang. He had a silver, full mohawk despite the rest of his head being shaved with a soul patch to match, his eyes the same color as Silvia's. A black leather jacket covered his torso, or most of it, as the rips and tears in the worn piece of clothing revealed an olive green stonewashed shirt beneath. His boot cut jeans were in a similar state, though more oil-stained than anything and his black cowboy-style biker boots finished it all off.</p><p>"Because we're siblings," Silvia noted as she jotted something down on a clipboard she'd been handed. "Could you be a dear?" He stared at her for a long moment before slamming his fist through the campfire and into the earth, removing the device from the ground and handing it to her, his teeth gritted as he seemed to be having trouble standing the noise.</p><p>"Turn the damn thing off!" Fenris demanded.</p><p>"Of course," she obliged, flipping the small switch on the bottom. His body immediately relaxed and he shook his head.</p><p>"Did it work as well as you hoped?" Fenris questioned.</p><p>"It did," she admitted with a smirk as she looked it over. "It turns out that tweaking the frequency results in different kinds of Grimm being attracted to it." She smiled and laughed. "I mean, in theory, it could even be used on Faunus!"</p><p>"Strange that you'd find that interesting," Fenris told her as he removed a pack of cigarettes from his jacket and tapped it against his hand. "Last I checked you only cared about Grimm." She turned to him.</p><p>"Make no mistake, we're only doing this to finish grandfather's work," She explained. Her smile faded and her face was masked with rage. "And to prove that asshole wrong! We were so close last time and they cut me off!"</p><p>"Last time had nothing to do with Grimm," Fenris reminded her as he walked to the edge of the bluff.</p><p>"They promised us funding!" She rebutted. She stared at the back of his jacket at Merlot's emblem. "We will finish this, grandfather."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of the new year! Next week, Chapter 2: Heroes!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Heroes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eliana is adjusting to Mistral... or atleast... she's trying to...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>Happy go lucky!</em> <em>Always! I'm always in the best mood! Life is the best! Everything is fine! Always smiling!</em></p><p>
  <strong>YOU RUINED EVERYTHING.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Life is great! My friends here are the best! This team is my family! Nothing can bother me!</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>NEELA HATES YOU. YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Things… I'm daydreaming again! Typical me. I need to get to class! First one of the day, Advanced Grimm Studies, one of my favorites! It might actually be my favorite!</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>RAVEN DIED BECAUSE OF YOUR MISTAKES! NEELA WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>It's… it's time for second period… things are great!... right?</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>WHAT IF YOU DO IT AGAIN? CAN ANYONE TRUST YOU?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Third period starts in a few minutes… I'm not okay… I've ruined everything, haven't I?</strong>
</p><p>"Eliana," called a voice that caught her attention. She turned suddenly, snapped out of her thoughts as she was greeted by Arslan who smiled as she met the girl. Eliana reflected the emotion, but there was no heart to put into it. "Is everything okay?"</p><p>"Of course," Eliana replied, shaking the grief from her body. She gave the best smile that she could and closed her eyes. "This change of pace is just what I needed."</p><p>"Good," Arslan replied as she brushed a stray hair from Eliana's face. "I wouldn't want you here simply because you're running from something in the past. I wanted you here because Glynda and I honestly believed that you'd better achieve the goal you were seeking here in Mistral. The past isn't something that we can run from, it catches us eventually. You have to confront it and own up to those mistakes. Forgiveness is hard to receive if you can't first forgive yourself, right?" Arslan winked at her before walking away without another word, leaving Eliana alone in the middle of the busy hallway which seemed busier without the headmistress there.</p><p>
  <em>Was this the best time? Should she send the apology now?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>NEELA DOESN'T CARE IF YOU APOLOGIZE.</strong>
</p><p>"Hey, you good?" A girl with dark green hair and dark blue eyes as she met Eliana who still stood motionless in front of her locker. She wore her school uniform which was black and bland, including the plaid skirt, Mistral was more strict than Beacon when it came to allowing the students to wear their street clothes during school.</p><p>"Yeah!" Eliana exclaimed. Desirae Ardan was easily the most friendly member of her new team, Team FADE, but at times she could be a bit dense. "I have a question for you."</p><p>"Ask away!" Desirae declared before grabbing Eliana and dragging her down the hall. "But ask while we walk or we'll be late to Dust studies."</p><p>"Right," Eliana agreed quietly. "Anyway… if you betrayed someone, do you think that they'd want an apology or to be left alone?" Desirae stopped for a moment, staring at Eliana hard before laughing and shoving her into the classroom and laughing.</p><p>"Man, you ask some of the strangest questions! Don't you agree, Asher?" Desirae asked. The only boy on their team, Asher Bailey, had his bangs long enough that his face could never be seen, the roots of his hair black before slowly fading to white at the tips. He furiously drew something on a piece of paper that was also concealed by his hair as he was draped over his desk, not even looking up to acknowledge them.</p><p>"Bells about to ring, better take your seats," He warned.</p><p>"Didn't answer my question," Desirae pouted.</p><p>"Sure, whatever," Asher mumbled as he tossed his head as though fixing his bangs so that he could see, but they returned to their original location. Desirae and Eliana sat beside each other next to the boy.</p><p>"Is this a hypothetical question?" Desirae prodded with a smirk. "Are you planning on betraying us?"</p><p>
  <strong>JUST LIKE YOU DID TO NEELA.</strong>
</p><p>"No, I would never do that," Eliana explained frantically. "Of course it's hypothetical."</p><p>"Didn't sound very convincing," Asher noted, still refusing to look at them.</p><p>"It is!" She defended. "Like Desirae said, I ask some really weird questions, right?" The bell rang and students that were loitering in the lower levels took their seats, despite the fact that the teacher was nowhere to be found.</p><p>"Alright, calm down," Asher replied. "Yeesh, just messing with you."</p><p>"Is that what it was?" Eliana asked.</p><p>"Was that speaking I heard?" Inquired a voice in Eliana's ear as a hand was placed gently on her shoulder. "Should I remind you how I feel about speaking out of turn during class?"</p><p>"And you're not?" Eliana questioned. The hand gripped tightly.</p><p>"My father is a teacher here, it will look far worse for this team if you speak without permission than if I do it," the girl explained. Fade Genevieve was ranked as the top in the entire school and couldn't contrast Eliana any more if she tried. Eliana was happy go lucky, with the exception of not being so as of late, and Fade played everything by her own book, which at times irritated Eliana in ways that she couldn't express in words. Or at least, not in words that wouldn't place her in detention.</p><p>"It's fine, Fade, the teacher isn't even here yet!" Desirae noted.</p><p>"Fortunately, for Eliana," Fade spat as she took her seat on the other side of Desirae.</p><p>"Eliana had a question for us," Desirae exclaimed.</p><p>"Actually it was just more for you," Eliana grumbled.</p><p>"What was the question?" Fade pried.</p><p>"She wants to know if you betray someone, how long should you wait to apologize, or if you should at all," Desirae repeated.</p><p>"Who was it?" Fade got right to the point.</p><p>"Just hypothetical," Eliana chuckled, shrinking in her chair.</p><p>"Unlikely," Fade stated. The girl's red eyes glared at Eliana, her long white hair beginning to float.</p><p>"Calm down," Asher instructed Fade. "We all know what happened the last time you lost your cool."</p><p>"Of course," Fade agreed with a smirk before folding her arms and looking away. "I just don't think it's wise for a team to have secrets, not even the new girl."</p><p>
  <strong>THEY DON'T TRUST YOU, BUT WHY SHOULD THEY?</strong>
</p><p>"Forget I asked," Eliana sighed.</p><p>"I guess it depends on what the person means to you," Desirae offered her.</p><p>"Why would you betray someone close to you?" Fade argued.</p><p>"If you were having your arm twisted… If someone had a gun to your head?!" Desirae shouted.</p><p>"Ahem!" Asher announced sitting up abruptly. His hair tossed back enough for Eliana to see his iris-less white eyes with goat pupils twitch. "Far-right door." Eliana turned to look at the shorter and older scholar, fumbling with closing the door behind him as he nearly spilled his papers everywhere.</p><p>"We can talk later if you'd like, I'm always here to listen," Desirae whispered before Fade jabbed her hard in the ribs with her elbow. Neela's face transposed over Desirae's.</p><p>
  <em>I'm always here to listen, Eliana.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I HEARD YOUR BETRAYAL THE LOUDEST.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>You shouldn't forgive me, Neela. I don't deserve it.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>WORTHLESS.</strong>
</p><hr/><p>"Neela," Yang began sternly before softening up. "Are you sure that you don't want to talk about it?"</p><p>"What's there to talk about?!" Neela exclaimed as she shoved past Yang towards the back bedroom in the apartment, frantically searching for her school uniform. "I don't need another lecture from the two of you about how she's not coming back! I understand that, okay? I'm not stupid! She just left, she's not coming back, I should get over it. Same song and dance. I'm over it, let's move on!"</p><p>"It doesn't sound like you're over it," Yang told her. "You're not sleeping, Jaune and Ren confirmed that during your last sleep study, your brain is acting the same as when you're awake, semblance and all, trying to find Eliana no matter what the cost." Neela stormed back down the hall, shoving through Yang again towards the laundry basket in the living room.</p><p>"Have either of you seen my uniform?" Neela huffed. "I washed it here last week because I didn't want to use the laundromat!"</p><p>"We never said that she wouldn't come back, Neela," Blake corrected, standing next to Yang with her arms folded. "We only said that it might be a while and that you should try and take your mind off of it."</p><p>"Yeah, whatever," Neela spat as she dumped out the basket and searched mindlessly through the pile.</p><p>"Well whenever you decide that you want to talk, we're here for you," Yang insisted. Neela pulled at her hair and felt rage wash over her face as she glared at the two of them.</p><p>"If you really want to help just shut up and help me look for…" Neela managed before Blake had cleared the kitchen and slapped her across the face. Neela remained motionless for a few seconds, the sting shocking her back to reality. She looked up at Blake, tears in her eyes as she noted the ones that her mother shared.</p><p>"Stop this now," Blake demanded. Neela's mouth opened to reply, but she didn't know what to say. Shame washed over her that rendered her speechless and she could only stare at Blake as the tears streamed down the cat Faunus's face. "Neela, we love you. We don't want to see you like this." Neela dove forward, clinging tightly to her mother as she sobbed.</p><p>"I just want her to come back, I'm sorry," Neela explained, burying her face as much as she could. Yang approached them, joining the two of them and holding them close as Neela let it out. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."</p><p>"I know," Yang assured her, pulling her away and grabbing her by the shoulders. "I know better than anyone else. I also know better than anyone else that it won't be easy, but you have to move past this. I know that Eliana was a major part of your life, maybe even the biggest part which wouldn't hurt the two of us in the slightest, but seeing you like this does." Yang wrapped her arms around Neela, letting the girl weep in her embrace for a long moment.</p><p>"It hurts. And I'm afraid that she'll never come back," Neela managed.</p><p>"I know," was the best that Yang could offer her at that moment. "I know sweetie."</p><p>"Neela, we're going to be late if..." Titus started as he opened the door of the apartment to find the three of them. "Is this a bad time?"</p><p>"Do you have to even ask that?" Ilia mumbled in his ear.</p><p>"I'm sorry, I should have knocked…" Titus began before Neela made her way across the room and wrapped her arms around the two of them. Titus looked at Ilia before drawing Neela closer to them.</p><p>"I'm sorry!" Neela exhaled trying her best to maintain her grip.</p><p>"You have nothing to be sorry about, Neela," Titus informed her. "We'll help you get through this."</p><p>"You just have to move on for now," Ilia said, crying herself which shocked Titus. "Not forever." Titus released the girls, walking to the couch and holding up Neela's uniform which was draped over the back.</p><p>"Hey…" Titus attempted but Yang cut him off, wiping her tears away.</p><p>"Just give them a moment," she told him. "The comedic timing will be much better afterward."</p><hr/><p>Neela took a deep breath as she closed the door behind her, nodding at her teammates in the hallway as she offered them a smirk and she left with them.</p><p>
  <em>I forgive you, Eliana, but I have to move on… just for now…</em>
</p><p>Neela's heart caught in her chest. It wasn't going to be that simple, was it?</p><p>"Chin up," Titus instructed as they reached the doors exiting the complex. "We're being recognized as heroes today."</p><p>"Isn't that going a bit far?" Ilia asked him. "Heroes? We just did what we were expected to do." Neela stifled a chuckle. "What?"</p><p>"Technically we were expected to leave at my mom's instruction," Neela pointed out. Ilia laughed.</p><p>"Yeah I guess that's true," Ilia agreed.</p><p>"I don't think it's enough if we're being honest," Cobalt added as CBLT joined them on their walk to the amphitheater.</p><p>"Oh yeah?" Tawney asked. "You expecting a movie?"</p><p>"The first fall had one!" Cobalt noted.</p><p>"It was a documentary," Lykos included.</p><p>"Still better than nothing!" Cobalt shouted at them. "But I was thinking small scale, maybe like a parade."</p><p>"We should appreciate the fact that we're being acknowledged at all," Titus corrected. "They didn't even have to do this. They chose to do so."</p><p>"It's good publicity," Neela said.</p><p>"Hey, Neela," Bái called out. Lykos touched her shoulder and put a finger to his lips.</p><p>"What's up?" Neela asked looking back at them.</p><p>"Your braids look nice today!" Bái recovered quickly. Neela smiled.</p><p>"Thanks!" Neela replied. She looked ahead again and shook her head to clear it. Eliana always used to tell her that…</p><p>"Again, chin up," Titus advised with a smile. Neela nodded and reciprocated his expression. He opened the doors and they were met with unexpected applause from the staff, media, and others that were already there. Neela felt a wave of regret sweep over her. Raven deserved to be here too.</p><p>"You did everything that you could, you have nothing to be ashamed of," Ruby told her as she approached her from the side with a wink. "Come on, let's get you kids up there."</p><p>"Your aunt really is the coolest," Cobalt whispered.</p><p>"<em>I know…" Eliana reassured her. "But still, your aunt is Ruby Rose… Ah! I can't get over that!" Neela chuckled, shaking her head again.</em></p><p>"<em>It's pretty cool I guess," Neela agreed.</em></p><p>"<em>You guess?!" Eliana scoffed.</em></p><p>"Ahem," Titus cleared his throat, motioning for Neela to take the lead. She gave a nod, slowly making her way down the aisle as the audio system blared to life.</p><p>"We would like to welcome the second years that partook in the second battle of Beacon to the stage now! Neela Xiao Long of Vale, Ilia Cherny of Vacuo, and Titus Prasinos of Atlas are the members of Team NITE in attendance today. Unable to make an appearance is Eliana Latherus of Mistral. We also welcome to the stage Cobalt Thénard of Vale, Bái Lung of Mistral, Lykos Asimi of Vale, and Tawney Lupara of Mistral who make up Team CBLT. Please give them a big round of applause as we acknowledge their bravery and skill in the face of an uncompromising evil," the voice said, it wasn't one that any of them recognized.</p><p>"Why does my tie feel so tight?" Cobalt asked as they closed in on the stage.</p><p>"Shut up," Tawney growled. They walked up the steps and took their places in a line as Glynda took the microphone and the cheering began to die down, despite the occasional whoop or catcall.</p><p>"Much like I stated before during the graduation ceremony, I believe that every one of the students that are attending this school today to make the world a better place are capable of great change. We owe that to the strength they found by setting aside their differences and working together. They have their faults and weaknesses, but they are all unique. It's my understanding that they were given a first-hand taste of this working in tandem when Athena and the Fang attacked the school. And thanks to the actions of both the Atlas and Mistral Militaries and Raven Branwen, we're proud to say that the White Fang have once again been eradicated," Glynda told them to another wave of thunderous cheers. Neela smirked.</p><p>"Told you," she whispered to Titus who chuckled.</p><p>"I now invite the members of the Remnant Peace Council up to the stage to congratulate these students first hand on their accolades. We would like to invite Ruby Rose, Head of both the Council and Vale, to the stage along with her advisor and stand-in, Qrow Branwen!" Glynda introduced them. The mass clapped again, Ruby showing off down the middle of the amphitheater by using her semblance, sending petals everywhere as she cycloned at the front of the podium before revealing herself. Qrow walked down the aisle, pointing and waving before meeting eyes with an impatient Glynda. Coco entered the stage from the side, presenting the medals to Ruby who then handed them out.</p><p>"Great job, hun," she told Neela, giving her a quick hug.</p><p>"Thanks, Aunt Ruby," Neela replied.</p><p>"Good work, Titus," Ruby informed him. He stood at attention and saluted.</p><p>"Anytime ma'am," he barked back autonomously.</p><p>"Thanks for staying and fighting, Ilia," Ruby said to the girl.</p><p>"It was the only choice," Ilia shrugged.</p><p>"It seems we misplaced your medal," Ruby noted as she thumbed through the ones in the box. Cobalt peered over the top and viewed the three that remained. He cleared his throat and nodded.</p><p>"It's alright, they deserve it more," Cobalt offered. Ruby chuckled as Qrow removed one from his jacket and tossed it to Cobalt.</p><p>"Don't sell it," Qrow instructed. Cobalt stared at it with wide eyes.</p><p>"Sure, yeah…" He stammered. Ruby bent her knees slightly to meet Bái's height.</p><p>"Keep up the good work, you've got a lot of potential," Ruby noted presenting her and Lykos with their medals.</p><p>"We will," Lykos replied for both of them.</p><p>"Tawney," Ruby began.</p><p>"Fight you for it!" Tawney exclaimed.</p><p>"No," Ruby said, handing it over.</p><p>"Afraid you'll lose?" Tawney asked as Ruby left the stage.</p><p>"It's bad for your image if you wipe the floor with a Huntress in training," Qrow chuckled.</p><p>"I'll remember that!" Tawney shouted. Lykos hushed her.</p><p>"Next we invite Olesia Lychnítis, the head of Vacuo, and her assistant and stand-in, Dorian Bradbury!" Glynda declared. Cobalt squealed and his teammates glared at him.</p><p>"No, you guys don't understand!" He exclaimed.</p><p>"I'm sure we don't," Tawney sighed, "But you're going to tell us anyway."</p><p>"She's a genius, and beautiful, and a technopath!" Cobalt declared. "What I wouldn't give to talk shop with her…"</p><p>"Thank you for fighting against the White Fang, Cobalt," Olesia greeted him. He took her hand and shook it repeatedly, his mind gone.</p><p>"Yeah, not a problem… I uh… yeah…" Cobalt stammered. She moved on and he looked at his hand. He'd touched her hand! Olesia Lychnítis's hand! A second later Dorian applied hand sanitizer to Cobalt's outstretched hand. "Why?!"</p><p>"You looked unnerved," Dorian offered with a shrug. Cobalt trembled.</p><p>"She.. and then he…" He stuttered.</p><p>"It's now time to welcome General Winter Branwen to the stage, the head of Atlas is accompanied today by her assistant and stand-in, Kitsune Aka!" Glynda told everyone. Winter made it a point to stop a bit longer to talk to Titus.</p><p>"Lieutenant General Prasinos," Winter said, acknowledging him. He saluted to her as he'd done the other. "I see you've finally settled into your role here at Beacon." He nodded at her.</p><p>"I have, General Branwen," he replied. She smiled and hugged him, seizing his body for a moment as his mind blanked. He smiled and hugged her back. "Thank you."</p><p>"But I don't want you getting too soft on me," Winter instructed. She moved to his ear and lowered her voice. "Contact me in a few weeks, I may have your first mission prepared as early as this winter." She released him and they gave each other a knowing look as she moved along. Kitsune stopped in front of him next.</p><p>"Good work, Titus," she informed him. "If you ever need someone to talk to about anything… I'm just a call away. Or text. Whatever you prefer." Titus chuckled.</p><p>"Sure," he replied, making her blush. She waved at him awkwardly before rushing to catch Winter.</p><p>"Lastly, introducing the head of Mistral along with his assistant and stand-in, Sterling Stratford and Siobhan Silver!" Glynda announced. The man walked down the aisle briskly with Siobhan right behind, all eyes in the room watched the man in awe as his aura itself seemed to be captivating every last one of them. He reached the stage and bowed, the simple act drawing even more approval than the beginning of the ceremony or Ruby's entrance. He glanced at the savior of Remnant who folded her arms and stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled, saying something to Siobhan that caused her to laugh as well.</p><p>"You must be Neela Xiao Long," Sterling noted as he approached her and shook her hand firmly.</p><p>"You've heard of me?" Neela inquired. He laughed and nodded.</p><p>"Of course!" He exclaimed. "And not just from your aunt. Sounds like I should either be nervous of you or enlist you in the Mistral Military once you graduate. There's a lot of buzz around you. Not only did I hear that you went toe to toe with that maniac Athena, but I also hear that you're a bit of a strategist. I'm willing to bet Coco is the only rung separating the two of us."</p><p>"I don't know if I'd go that far," Neela brushed him off sheepishly.</p><p>"Give yourself the credit you're due," Sterling said with a wink and she blushed. How did he do that? Neela knew full and well that she was a lesbian, but the way that he made her feel… was it his semblance?</p><p>"Thank you," she replied.</p><p>"We'll be keeping an eye on you," he chuckled moving down the line. She took a deep breath and cleared her head. That was bizarre.</p><p>"Thank you for your bravery," he told Lykos and Bái before approaching Tawney.</p><p>"And you must be the Maniac," he said with a grin.</p><p>"I uh… I'm not sure… What to say. I'm sorry?" Tawney managed.</p><p>"I was well aware of the fighting rings that existed in the lower levels, though I never thought I'd get to meet the legendary Maniac of Mistral," he replied laughing. She chuckled nervously and sighed in relief.</p><p>"Really?" She asked.</p><p>"The fighter that never lost once? Truly an amazing feat," he noted. "How many fights was it?"</p><p>"Twenty-seven," Siobhan interjected. Sterling looked at her.</p><p>"Looks like you have a few fans left," Sterling said. "I had no intention of shutting down those fights, they were too valuable to the economy for those of you in the slums."</p><p>"Sounds bad when you put it that way," Tawney noted. He stood up straight.</p><p>"No!" He corrected. "Don't get me wrong! I know that it's a problem! We've been working on a restoration project for years, we're just not ready to implement it yet."</p><p>"Well I look forward to when you do," Tawney said. Sterling smiled thoughtfully.</p><p>"And I hope to see the return of the Maniac someday," Sterling replied as he left the stage and ushered Siobhan off. Twenty-seven<em>…</em> Why was that woman's voice so familiar? She didn't recognize her… she was sure she'd just heard her on the radio during the news block… worst hour of Vale's radio station every night.</p><p>"Once again, a big round of applause for these Huntsmen and Huntresses for risking it all to protect this school and the people around them!" Came the voice of the first announcer. They received a standing ovation and thanked everyone, waving out to them as the crowd was dismissed.</p><p>"That was short," Titus noted.</p><p>"Really?" Cobalt asked.</p><p>"In Atlas, that much would have lasted for hours," Titus explained.</p><p>"If I've said it once, I've said it one hundred times," Neela repeated. "Publicity stunt."</p><p>"Team NITE," Glynda said, turning around to address them. "I'd like for the three of you to remain here once the building clears out."</p><p>"Is this about pairing up with the third years?" Lykos inquired.</p><p>"That won't be for another week or so yet," Glynda explained. "I need to talk to NITE alone."</p><p>"Damn Team NITE," Tawney muttered, leaping off of the stage. The rest of her team followed after her, and Glynda waited a few minutes for the room to empty itself. She looked at them for a long moment before she turned back to the lectern and removed a manilla file folder and presented it to Ilia who was standing in the middle.</p><p>"What's this?" Ilia inquired as she stared at it for a moment, waiting for an explanation before opening it.</p><p>"I would have liked a little longer before it came to this, but we can't wait forever, can we?" Glynda asked. Neela moved to take a step forward but Titus reached across Ilia and stopped her.</p><p>"Ma'am…" Titus began.</p><p>"I'll give the three of you two days to pick a new fourth member for Team NITE from that packet," she told them, confirming Neela's fear. Neela covered her mouth, taking a step back as Titus stepped forward.</p><p>"With all due respect, Headmistress Glynda, we would like to wait until the end of the first quarter before making such a decision," Titus pled.</p><p>"I cannot honor that request," Glynda informed him. "We can't allow ourselves to be ill-prepared for what may come simply because we assume that Eliana will be back."</p><p>"Goodwitch!" Titus shouted.</p><p>"No…" Neela interrupted, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the two of them. "It's okay, Titus. She's right."</p><p>"No, no, no. You're just saying that!" Titus yelled at Neela.</p><p>"Two days," Glynda reminded them as she began to leave the amphitheater. "Depending on who you chose, the team name may have to change, but Neela will still be the leading member no matter what." She stopped before reaching the doors and turned back to them. "If Eliana comes back, she's welcome back to Team NITE, but in the meantime, we need to continue training at full capacity." She left them in silence and Titus looked at Neela as Ilia thumbed through the pages.</p><p>"Three candidates," she noted. Titus sighed and joined her.</p><p>"Any of them look promising?" He asked.</p><p>"Hard to say," Ilia replied. "It doesn't make any note of their personalities. Likes, dislikes, accolades, semblance, and weapons. That's all we have to go off of."</p><p>"I guess they didn't give us pictures because they didn't want us to discriminate based on appearance," Titus pointed out as he took the folder and double-checked the packet. "Neela, did you want to take a look?" He turned around to find that she'd already left the building through one of the rear exits.</p><p>"You did your best to appeal the matter," Ilia told him.</p><p>"I don't feel like it was enough," he sighed again. He stretched and looked out over the room from the stage. "So what do you have going on the rest of the day?"</p><p>"Oh, you know," she said without looking up at him from her scroll with a smirk.</p><p>"Right," he chuckled.</p><p>"What about you?" Ilia asked as she put her scroll away and made her way towards the exit with him beside her.</p><p>"Probably do some training," Titus offered. "Pour-over these documents for a few hours just to realize that I really don't want to decide on anyone to replace Elli."</p><p>"I think we're all going to have that problem," Ilia said. "If we don't pick, I'm sure Glynda will."</p><p>"It's probably just best that we leave it up to her," Titus suggested. Ilia nodded.</p><p>"Agreed," Ilia replied.</p><hr/><p>The cliffside… Neela stood on the edge, letting the breeze wash over her from the ocean as she peered out towards Patch and sighed, her body rigid as she recalled all of the moments that she'd had here. Helping Lykos save Bái, watching Raven sacrifice to herself to make sure that they were safe from Athena, and Elli…</p><p>"<em>I'm not going anywhere Neela! You worry too much! Nothing is ever going to come between the two of us!" Eliana exclaimed. "I want our kids to play and go to Beacon together and who knows, maybe they'll even fall in love!" Neela chuckled, concealing her hurt. She desperately needed to tell Eliana, but everything the girl said suggested that she didn't even feel remotely the same. What if she risked it all and Eliana's vows to always be there for her disappeared? Was she willing to risk their friendship for something more? If it drove Eliana away, Neela would be devastated for the rest of her life. "Here!" Neela snapped out of it, looking fully at Eliana who held her pinky out towards Neela.</em></p><p>"<em>What?" Neela asked her.</em></p><p>"<em>Let's pinky swear!" Eliana cried out.</em></p><p>"<em>Elli, we're not little kids anymore!" Neela laughed. Eliana's tone changed suddenly and Neela knew that this had deeper meaning. Eliana's eyes weren't wide and kind, they were thoughtful and severe.</em></p><p>"<em>I'm serious Neela. I want us to swear that no matter what happens, that we're always going to be friends." Eliana explained. "Not even death will stop us." Neela smiled at her and nodded. She hooked her pinky and they both shook. This pleased Eliana and the joy returned to her eyes as she smiled again and hugged her friend. "Great. Now there's nothing for us to worry about." Neela slowly stood and helped Eliana to her feet, but as Neela planned on returning to the campus, Eliana took off towards the woods, in the direction of the waterfall.</em></p><p>"I drove her away," Neela muttered as she felt the sorrow inside of her weighing heavily once more. "That was my doing, wasn't it?"</p><p>"Oh I very much doubt that," said a familiar voice as the boy took a seat along the ledge beside her and patting the spot beside him, suggesting that she do the same. She looked at Orin and offered a smile as she sat beside him. "You look far more distracted than the last time that we talked. I'm guessing this had to do with that cute girl who was always following you around, hm?"</p><p>"I confessed my feelings and she left," Neela noted staring hard at the reflections of the sun off of the waves that crashed at the cliff's base. "I shouldn't have told her."</p><p>"Would that really have been better?" Orin asked.</p><p>"What?" Neela replied in confusion. He looked at her for a long moment before chuckling and shaking his head.</p><p>"You don't actually believe that you're the reason that she left, do you?" Orin inquired. "That she left because you admitted to her your true feelings and she just didn't feel the same?" Neela nodded slowly. He rubbed his face. "It's because she felt the same that she left, Neela."</p><p>"That doesn't make any sense," Neela stated in irritation as she stood to leave.</p><p>"It doesn't?" Orin questioned standing. "I don't know what happened between the two of you, but Eliana must feel that she hurt you in some way and doesn't deserve your affection. It's the only thing that actually makes sense." Neela stared at him for a moment, biting her lip. "She may not have realized those feelings before you told her, but no one looks at another person the way she did with you without feeling the same."</p><p>"Do you think she'll come back?" Neela wondered.</p><p>"We all make our own decisions, that's not for me to say," Orin admitted as he took a step closer to her. He smiled as he bowed slightly. "However, what is for me to say is that I hope terribly that my team has the privilege of mentoring Team NITE. I've seen nothing but promise and potential from your team." Neela waved him off and smirked.</p><p>"I'm flattered," Neela said. He stood back up, offering his hand and taking hers before kissing it.</p><p>"Au revoir," Orin told her, leaving back towards the school and leaving Neela to stand there and watch him for a moment.</p><p>"I don't know if he just thinks he's all that… or he really is," Neela stated. She sighed and looked out at the water one more time.</p><p>"<em>My mom says that dad used to take her to the ocean all the time when they first started dating," Eliana told Neela. Neela looked down at her friend for a moment, rubbing her bare arms as she felt the winds of fall sweep past them, though Eliana seemed unphased. "She said that he would always tell her that the ocean was one of the most perfect things in all of Remnant because, despite the fact that the water itself was not alive, it was more alive than most of the things in this world. Listen to the sound and note its beauty. It gives life and when it's angry, it can take life away. The motion can put someone to sleep or can wake them into a nightmare. Notice how he said that it was perfect, but not beautiful. No, the perfection of being all things absolutely, yet completely open to interpretation, was what made it beautiful."</em></p><p>"<em>Elli…" Neela said, she could hear the pain in her friend's voice as she sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her. Eliana looked at her and smiled through the tears. It broke Neela's heart and she felt a sharp stabbing in her chest as Eliana continued. Eliana was pouring her heart out into Neela and in turn, into the ocean's beauty.</em></p><p>"<em>Mom used to tell me that I was one of the things that dad found perfect. He said that I could be the most innocent of children, so full of naivety and wonder, but that I could also be a force to be reckoned with. That's why I'm a completely different person when I fight. I want to remain that perfection that my father had known I could be. I'm happy go lucky all of the time, but when it comes down to being a Huntress, no one will take it more seriously than I will. I just…" She stopped as she looked over at Neela, who was also staring out at the water now. "I want to remain that flawless little girl that my dad thought I was capable of being."</em></p><p>
  <em>Eliana… you don't need to be flawless…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You just need to be you</em>
  <em>.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>NITE and CBLT are considered heroes, but Eliana and Neela are still struggling to get by. Next week, Chapter 3: Emerald!</p><p>Sorry for the late upload, I work twelve-hour shifts every other weekend at my new job, so this might become frequent.</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Emerald</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Coco decides to use the new night watch to her advantage...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Emerald stood outside of Junior's Club, feeling the bass course through her body as if it was trying to take control of her and she stared at the building for a long moment, wondering if she could really bring herself to going inside and speaking to Mercury once again. She had no good memories of this place, she had long moved on from thinking that Cinder's saving her from living on the streets had been a selfless act, the woman had only manipulated her to get what she wanted, and it took Cinder's 'death' for Emerald to realize that it was time to get out. Serving Salem wasn't what she wanted, she'd only stolen as a means to survive at first, and the horrors she witnessed in her time with Salem and her crew were far worse than she cared to admit she'd partaken in or caused. Emerald remembered all of it as if she was living a nightmare or watching a terrifying movie. She was effectively immobilized.</p><p>"Emerald," Coco's voice spoke over the comms unit in her ear, startling her as she nearly jumped out of her skin, peered down the road both ways to make sure that no one had spotted her. Her hands were shaking and she swallowed the lump in her throat, ashamed to admit how she was feeling about the plan to Coco. Coco was giving her a second chance much like Cinder had, but this time it was different. The woman really wanted to help her, didn't she? Emerald owed them at least this much, if she could infiltrate the ranks of Stardust, she could help put an end to the crime syndicate once and for all. She placed her hand over her ear.</p><p>"I'm here," she stuttered quietly, breathing slowly. "I just need a moment."</p><p>"Take as much time as you need," Coco replied. "I know that you can do this. Just remember to breathe and don't take any shit." Emerald chuckled as she shook her head, recalling deceiving Coco during the Vytal Festival. She had always spoken her mind, and the woman didn't seem afraid of much. Every time that they'd met after that the strategist always had an air about her that commanded the room. She was the center point of attention, but it was because she wouldn't allow it to focus elsewhere. Coco wasn't just confident in the decisions that she made, she gave them as gospel.</p><p>"Easy for you to say," Emerald replied as she turned back to the building and prepared herself mentally to enter. It was apparent that they had recently rebranded, where it was quite obvious that Junior didn't want the place being found and only a select group that knew about it could enter in, the twins were quite the opposite, or so it appeared. Flashing in large neon lights that were probably visible from space, or atleast the freeway, was the silhouettes of Miltia and Melanie, one on each side in their signature colors with the words 'Club Malachite' in the middle in a rich blue. It was easy to see how this almost seemed like a better option, as bringing in the general public would not only make it harder for the cops to find someone they were looking for, but it was also likely just a front.</p><p>She made her way to the building, debating on whether or not she should use her semblance to disguise herself, but deciding against it because she wanted to maintain trust with Mercury. She pushed the first door open, finding a rather lengthy queue line that was waiting to be okayed by the bouncer to enter the dance floor. On occasion the doors would slide open, giving Emerald a glimpse of the crowded room, moving to the beats that deafened the building, the bar a little more crowded than Emerald remembered it ever being with Junior running the show. The few minutes that she had to stand in line and wait caused her to doubt again.</p><p>"Have you ever been here before?" Asked one of the girls that was standing directly in front of her.</p><p>"No, but my brother said that it's one of the hottest night scenes in all of Vale, so I thought we should give it a try," the second replied as she grabbed the first girl and kissed her on the lips.</p><p>"The hotter the better," the first replied out of breath as they approached the bouncer.</p><p>"You sure you girls are 18?" He asked with his arms folded, preparing to show them out. The second girl flashed him for a long moment before putting her shirt back down and laughing as her girlfriend wrapped her arms around her waist from behind.</p><p>"Do those look like the kind of tits you'd find on a younger girl?" She asked him with a devious smile. He cleared his throat before looking towards the doors and letting them in. Emerald stepped up to the man and he looked her over.</p><p>"You can go in," he said without a second thought. She walked to the doors, wincing and blinking hard as they opened the spotlight shining on her and it felt as if the entire room was watching her, though she knew it was nothing more than paranoia. The spotlight was shined on everyone who entered, and the people that were there were far too busy getting drunk or grinding on each other out on the floor to care about the nearly middle-aged woman who had entered the club. She spotted the twins quickly, both of the girls were busy hanging all over a patron who was dressed to the nines, doing as much as they could do make him stay longer. Miltia rubbed his shoulders as her sister laid a hand on his chest, flirting with the man and offering him another drink at a discount.</p><p>"Emerald, are you in?" Coco asked, stopping Emerald short of the bar.</p><p>"Yeah," Emerald told her. "I'm going to go silent. I feel like it'll help me concentrate better."</p><p>"I don't think that's…" Coco managed before Emerald turned the comms unit off, removing it from her ear and placing it in her pocket. She took a deep breath before watching Cinder, Mercury, and herself walk by. A flashback? Emerald breathed slowly, closing her eyes and looking at the ground. She had to be careful. Her worst memories brought her trauma and if she let it get the best of her, she'd recreate the scene with her illusions, giving away what was on her mind and risking enough strain to effectively render her unconscious. She opened her eyes again, finding that the memory was gone and she anchored herself, thinking about the hell she'd gone through the first time. Not again, never again.</p><p>"Miltia," Emerald called out as she approached them. She girl peered over the man's shoulder, saying something to Melanie who turned around and noted Emerald. She turned back to the man, fixing his tie and whispering something to him that caused him to blush hard before she shoved him back into Miltia. Miltia whispered something as well, directing him towards a back door that Emerald had to assume, despite being marked as one, was not actually an exit. The girls approached Emerald and in her head, despite the noise that swallowed them whole, she could hear their heels clicking off of the floor.</p><p>"Emerald," Miltia stated as they stopped a few feet short of her and folded their arms.</p><p>"We always knew that you'd be back one day," Melanie insisted with a smirk.</p><p>"We probably would have done the same thing that you did," Miltia added.</p><p>"They were going to kill you otherwise, right?" Melanie asked. Emerald nodded. She wasn't sure what they had heard, but it was best to let them believe it instead of correcting them.</p><p>"It really was my only way out at the time," Emerald agreed. "Is Mercury here? I'm told that he frequents your establishment on occasion."</p><p>"Did you see him tonight, Miltia?" Melanie asked. Miltia nodded as she glanced towards the 'exit'.</p><p>"Aurora isn't here though and if she finds out we sent someone back to see Mercury without her approval we might not ever hear the end of it," Miltia stated.</p><p>"This is Emerald we're talking about," Melanie reminded her sister as she motioned for the ex-thief to follow her. "I'll take you back to his room and make sure that he's free to talk." Melanie led her past the bar, most of the people there ignoring her with the exception of a wolf Faunus who sat on the very end, eying her up with a shit-eating grin on his face, stepping down from his barstool to follow after them, Emerald could smell the alcohol on him from several feet away and Miltia took the bottle out of his hand.</p><p>"Hey!" He shouted at her as the door closed behind Emerald. The concrete hallway had very little going for it with the exception of an ATM at the end of the corridor, doorways lined both sides, nothing more than beads hanging from the frame concealed what was going on inside, several of them containing nothing more than rich men receiving lap dances, and a few of them sat empty. Melanie approached the ATM, entering something on the keypad that opened the wall behind it. Music that was somehow louder than in the actual club slammed into them, the room was roughly half the size of the dance floor, and in the middle sat Mercury with two women hanging off of him.</p><p>"Mercury!" Melanie yelled out to him. He looked up from the files that were strewn across the table, his eyes meeting Emerald's and she forgot how to breathe. What if this was all just a trap? She should have asked the twins what they meant by saying it was the only way they would have let her live. Melanie was undoubtedly going to leave the room and lock her in, and even though she had her weapons on her, she wasn't sure that she could take on Mercury and the three others in the room with him. The door opened and the Faunus stumbled in with a shove from Miltia, crashing into Emerald who shrank away from him, shoving him away from her as she took a step to the side.</p><p>"Cut him off," Miltia scolded as she glared at the new arrival. He gritted his teeth before wobbling towards the couch.</p><p>"I didn't even have that many, fuck off!" The wolf shouted before flopping down next to the other unnamed man.</p><p>"Emerald," Mercury uttered as he stood with a smile and made his way over to her. He sighed softly as he maintained his smile, pulling her in and hugging her. "And here I thought that you'd never return, but you just can't run away from a past like yours, can you?"</p><p>"We'll let you take it from here," Melanie stated as she left with her sister. The door closed and Mercury moved to Emerald's ear.</p><p>"Why are you here?" Mercury scowled.</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Emerald asked as she separated herself from him.</p><p>"You didn't really think that you were just going to come waltzing back in here and act like nothing happened," Mercury noted. He took a swift step forward, driving her back until she found herself in the corner.</p><p>"Hey, boss…" The Faunus mumbled.</p><p>"Not now, Sirius," Mercury shouted without taking his eyes off of Emerald.</p><p>"You know that she was just using us as much as I did," Emerald managed.</p><p>"That's why you betrayed us?" Mercury asked quietly, moving even closer, leaving her no space to move. "Because you were feeling scared? I always saw the look in your eye, that wondering whether or not you were making a mistake. I tried to warn Cinder, but she insisted that we keep you around. Pathetic." He frowned. "And now I see that same look in your eyes now."</p><p>"Mercury, I… I really got to…" Sirius murmured, trying to find his feet.</p><p>"I said to wait!" Mercury yelled once again.</p><p>"I made a mistake giving them that information. I was in hiding because I didn't know how to get back to you. I'm here now," she explained taking a step forward which he allowed her by backing up. "You know that I could be useful to your cause. I was afraid of that power at first, but now I want it too. Please, let me back in."</p><p>"She's got a bug on her," Sirius spat out angrily. "And she's also…" Mercury kicked through the illusion Emerald and she disappeared, revealing the real Emerald on the far end of the room.</p><p>"Even as a drunk asshole he's more useful than you were," Mercury scoffed. "You think you can pull the wool over my eyes? You think you're a hero now?" He chuckled. "Just remember, the people that died at Vytal was just as much your fault, if not even more than mine. You were the one that caused Pyrrha to kill Penny and draw all those Grimm in. Did they tell you it could just be swept under the rug? Did you believe them?" Emerald's body shook as she recalled the events.</p><p>"I didn't want to!" She shouted at him with tears in her eyes.</p><p>"But you did!" He replied. "It doesn't matter that you 'didn't want to'. Those people are dead thanks to you."</p><p>"Shut up!" Emerald yelled. The girls removed their swords and stepped towards her.</p><p>"Ladies!" Mercury cut them off. They turned and looked at him. "That won't be necessary." Mercury grinned. "She always was the weakest out of us."</p><p>Coco had told her that it was all okay and that they wanted her on their side. That she could right the wrongs that she'd committed. But was any of that true? Was it all just another lie from someone who suggested they could give her a second chance? She glared at Mercury.</p><p>"Cinder and Salem are dead!" Emerald shouted. "There's only one thing left that I can do to fix all of this!" Mercury opened his arms.</p><p>"And then you'll kill yourself?" He asked. "Didn't you hear a single word I said?"</p><p>"I can't make you give this life up," Emerald informed him. "But I've made my choice."</p><p>"Well then," Mercury happily contended. "Let's dance!"</p><p>"Mercury…" The shirtless one began.</p><p>"I can handle her!" Mercury noted as he sprinted past the man before he could stand. He kicked at Emerald, preparing for her defensive stance as he crashed through her illusion and glancing around the room. "Fun trick, but where are you?"</p><p>"I've gotten stronger you know," Emerald noted. He glanced around the room. "Not only can I deceive more than one person at a time… I can make multiple illusions at once."</p><p>"Sirius!" Mercury shouted at him.</p><p>"You don't think we did our research?" Sirius asked as he disappeared. Orion stood and concealed the papers on the table.</p><p>"You're still scared, nothing can change that!" Mercury informed her. He glanced about the room, still unsure of where she was.</p><p>"It would seem that you are as well," Emerald said. Mercury felt everything shift as the door slammed shut and locked from the outside.</p><p>"Get her!" He yelled at the Gemini sisters. They nodded, kicking the door down as they tore through the passageway, slamming into one of the strippers.</p><p>"Move!" Asteria demanded as they paid the woman no mind. The stripper entered one of the side rooms before appearing as the man that the Malachites had been hanging all over, leaving immediately and heading back to the floor as she put her earpiece back in.</p><p>"What the hell was that?" Coco asked. "Something happen in there that you don't want me to know about?" Emerald sighed as she moved through the crowd.</p><p>"I…" Emerald stopped as she saw a flashback of her and Cinder moving through the crowd back towards the bar. "I can't have you holding my hand every step of the way…"</p><p>"<em>Junior, was it?" Cinder asked as she flirted with the man, causing him to become flustered. "I need a little information on the assassin Marcus Black, and I'm guessing you're just the man to ask." Emerald left an afterimage behind Cinder, picking his wallet off of him before returning to her original position.</em></p><p>"<em>Uh… Yeah, sure," Junior agreed, swallowing hard.</em></p><p>"<em>Good," Cinder offered with a smile before reaching back and snatching the wallet from Emerald. "This man is going to be assisting us, best not to piss him off. Do I have to tell you everything?"</em></p><p>"Emerald…" Coco's voice flooded back in.</p><p>"There!" Melanie shouted pointing to the middle of the floor. Miltia sat Sirius down in a booth as he glanced past her.</p><p>"What's going on?" He questioned puzzled.</p><p>"Get out of there!" Coco demanded snapping her out of it. Emerald glanced back at Melanie who was quickly gaining on her, using hand motions to stop the DJ which brought attention to her actions, causing a panic and clearing the floor. "I can send back up if you need it, but it might be a few minutes."</p><p>"I'll be fine for a moment!" Emerald replied loudly as Melanie entered the fight with a few flashy flips before her heels met Emerald's sickles. Melanie kicked several times with her right foot, Emerald defending before the girl landed and offered a hard kick with her left but Emerald expected it, maneuvering swiftly and managing to use her kusarigama to catch her foot and toss her through one of the glass pillars. Melanie bound across the floor before digging her heels in to slide to a stop, finding Emerald to be gone when she looked back up. She slammed her fists against the ground, swearing under her breath as Miltia came to check on her.</p><p>"Emerald, talk to me," Coco instructed as the woman ran from the club. She'd reply to Coco as soon as she was sure that she wasn't being followed and that they weren't going to find her. She couldn't be caught, if she ended up under Salem's power again or against it, she wasn't sure she'd make it. She held her breath cloaking herself as both sets of twins sprinted past her down the alleyway. Emerald tried to anchor herself as she released and began breathing erratically.</p><p>"This was a bad idea," she explained to Coco.</p><p>"You're okay, just breathe," Coco reminded her.</p><p>"It's like it's pulling me back in because it's the only thing I've known," Emerald told her. "Even though I know I was miserable and it wouldn't be any different this time, I feel like it's where I should be."</p><p>"That can be a hard feeling to shake," Coco said quietly. "But after taking a second look at my life, I realized that as much as I loved being on the front lines, my family came first. Now I know that you don't have a family, but you have to do what's going to be best for you in the long run, even if all you can see in front of you is rejoining Mercury."</p><p>"I know it's the wrong choice," Emerald confessed as she began heading back towards the other side of the underpass. "I would be just as afraid and contemplating joining you if I was with Mercury but… I need to fix what I've broken. That's what keeps me going."</p><p>"Was the information we were given good?" Coco asked her. Emerald looked over the few files that she managed to snag.</p><p>"It looks like they're planning for something during the Technology Expo," Emerald explained as she entered the back of the van that had dropped her off and she nodded to Sun to give him the go-ahead to drive.</p><p>"During the Expo?" Coco double-checked. Emerald took a deep breath.</p><p>"More accurately, <em>at</em> the Expo," Emerald corrected. "The night of the Expo it looks like they're planning some kind of heist."</p><p>"Alright," Coco replied distantly as she checked something on her computer. "You can come on back and I'll talk to Glynda in the morning about what we should do."</p><p>"Right," Emerald agreed as she stared out the back window and watched the club disappear from sight. <em>I'm stronger than last time, Mercury. I will make up for my mistakes.</em></p><hr/><p>"What just happened?" Mercury asked as he kicked the table across the room, sending drinks and papers everywhere and leaving Orion in silence as he grasped at the folder as it slid away from him across the floor.</p><p>"It would seem you were outsmarted by Emerald," Orion offered in a bit of honesty as he gathered up the contents.</p><p>"No shit!" Mercury shouted at him as he ran a hand through his hair and flopped back down onto the couch. He groaned. "She was never that strong before. She was just a scared girl that barely had enough confidence in her smoke and mirrors to fool an idiot, let alone a room of people with multiple illusions." He rubbed his face and shook his head. "Just because she was a scared little girl that Cinder had pity on… and actually, it wasn't even that! Salem told us to go get her! We could have pulled it off without her!"</p><p>"You sound a little bitter," Orion noted finishing cleaning the documents off of the floor, thumbing through them to determine what was missing.</p><p>"Cinder's gone and Emerald's a traitor," Mercury explained. "I should have been the one to lead the attacks at Beacon and Haven. My father was an assassin. I killed my father. I have a raw determination that those other two didn't. Cinder just wanted more power and Emerald just wanted to belong. I knew what power tasted like until my father took my semblance from me!"</p><p>"You're awfully whiney tonight, aren't you?" Sirius asked, chuckling as he stumbled into the room.</p><p>"Do you ever stop drinking?" Mercury inquired angrily. Sirius smirked.</p><p>"Not until I'm ready," Sirius told him.</p><p>"We couldn't find her," Astra admitted.</p><p>"It's like she disappeared," Asteria added.</p><p>"I think they know that we're attacking the Expo now," Orion noted. Mercury nodded his head and stood back up.</p><p>"Good," he told them. "Let them know we're coming and be devastated when they fail to stop us."</p><p>"How will we stop Emerald the next time we cross her?" Orion questioned. Mercury covered his face and laughed.</p><p>"Are we worried about her?" Mercury shouted at them.</p><p>"Your level of irritability would suggest so," Sirius laughed before crashing to the floor on his own. The twins ran to him quickly.</p><p>"I think you confuse concern with annoyance," Mercury noted. "If they were interchangeable all of you would concern me." Mercury left the back room and headed towards the dance floor, leaving the Stardust gang on their own in the back.</p><p>"Anyone else notice how he is being more of a dick than usual," Orion asked.</p><p>"He's under a lot of pressure from Abigor," Astra explained.</p><p>"The last meeting didn't go very well," Asteria noted.</p><p>"How so?" Orion inquired.</p><p>"Mercury said that he was yelled at for the mess we made at the power plant," Astra told him.</p><p>"And Abigor was kind of upset about Athena failing," Asteria reminded her sister.</p><p>"It'll be our time soon," Sirius mumbled. Orion shook his head.</p><p>"As soon as Aurora is out of the way, Mercury shouldn't be a problem," Orion said.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Emerald is on board with taking down Stardust but can shake the feeling of her past? Next week, Chapter 4: Fantasies!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Fantasies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We find our heroes in a faraway place where magic still rules the land and rolling a D20 is desirable... Wait... what?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Why did I agree to this?" Cobalt asked as he slipped and fell into the mud, laying in it for a long moment as it soaked into his clothes and skin and he sighed before someone picked him up by the back of his tunic and placed him back on his feet. Cobalt was nothing more than a mere scribe and still wasn't sure why he needed to be with the knight and his fellowship when they headed deep into Mistral territory and killed the ancient dragon Athena that had been terrorizing the area for quite some time. The pay was more than he would have made copying down notes and laws for Queen Ruby, but to say that he was ill-prepared was an understatement of epic proportions. He had been given no armor and no weapons, only a quill, a well of ink, and a satchel full of parchment to record their journey on, given instruction to take cover if they entered into battle.</p><p>They were led by Titus of Atlas, the large man wore his armor with pride and was highly regarded as the best sword fighter in all of the four kingdoms, he had a commanding aura that reminded opponents that he wasn't to be trifled with, but was approachable and personable in person, even if Cobalt did find him intimidating. He was adorned with armor that was more expensive than all of the gold Cobalt would ever see in his lifetime, and they said that his sword was forged in the realm of the god of light, the magic imbued within could only be used in the moment it was needed most, but to this point, Titus hadn't needed to use it. He rode his horse slowly at the front of the group.</p><p>Following closely behind him was a woman who was hooded and seemed to constantly be on edge, her bow drawn as she examined the tree lines on either side of the path, prepared for anyone or anything that might come from out of the darkness and attack them. Neela of Vale was a well-known archer, though whether or not she was with them or against them was hard to be determined, there was an air of mystery about her that made her unapproachable, but the Queen had insisted that she accompanied them to the dragon. They weren't about to question the authority of the Queen, nor the motives of the archer.</p><p>With them were also two priestesses, one that dealt in ice though was somehow able to channel it without the use of a staff or talisman, was shy and nervous, standing towards the back with the outcast of their party, a quiet yet irritable lycan who Cobalt had already forgotten the name of. The other priestess was Ilia of Vacuo, known for her dark possession magic that often allowed her to possess the bodies of her enemies, making quick work of highwaymen and bandits that might mistake her for a weaker woman. He glanced back at their last member who brushed the hair from her face.</p><p>She was a brawler and wore heavy and overly sized gauntlets on each hand that he could only imagine packed enough punch to leave a crack in some of the largest boulders that made up the Vale Kingdom's eastern walls defenses. She was always looking for a fight, asking Neela and Titus to square off against her several times but they both refused on several occasions, though it seemed to really rub Neela the wrong way.</p><p>"I hate to sound like I'm complaining, but are we almost there yet?" Cobalt asked as he took a few quick steps to move up to the front by Neela and Titus.</p><p>"You have to learn to appreciate the journey," Titus noted. "All of this will be history soon! Bards will perform plays of the events that take place during our quest long after we've been commemorated and remembered as heroes! With my name first and foremost, of course!"</p><p>"I'm with the annoying, useless twig," Neela told Titus. "I'm getting sick of all of this traveling and Vale needs me to defend its settlements among the wilderness of its forests."</p><p>"I'm flattered?" Cobalt stammered.</p><p>"Me too! I want to fight something!" Tawney insisted.</p><p>"Well, we have to be getting close, right?" Cobalt inquired.</p><p>"Maybe ask Lykos?" Ilia noted getting in on their conversation. "He's a lycan, so he should be able to smell the thing, right?"</p><p>"Wrong!" Lykos shouted out.</p><p>"I didn't realize he could hear us all the way up here," Cobalt muttered.</p><p>"Well, I can!" Lykos yelled in reply.</p><p>"Maybe Ilia can use her powers to sense it?" Bái offered.</p><p>"That's not how my powers work," Ilia told her. "I can only possess things that are in my direct line of sight, and I wouldn't have enough mana to send the thing far enough ahead to scout the area out."</p><p>"So in short?" Cobalt asked.</p><p>"We'll just have to keep walking for now," Titus explained.</p><p>"Sure, yeah, fine, why not…" Cobalt began before Neela stopped dead in her tracks and he ran into her. He bounced off and looked at her for a long moment before opening his mouth but she clamped it shut quickly with her hand. He glanced at her in confusion and tried to speak. "Mmmf!"</p><p>"Shut up!" Neela scolded before releasing him and taking a step towards the woods.</p><p>"What is it?" Titus asked, stopping his horse.</p><p>"Grimm," Neela declared before drawing back her arrow and letting it fly. The Dust on the feathers activated as it flew, lighting it on fire and revealing the darkness to be swarming with beowulves that were prepared to attack.</p><p>"Get ready!" Titus shouted as the creatures roared collectively and charged them.</p><p>"And do what?" Cobalt shouted in horror.</p><p>"Just get behind me!" Neela demanded as she fired an arrow into one that came down on them. She tossed it to the side as its body made impact with her, nearly landing on Cobalt as he scrambled away and nearly tumbled down the river bank, stopping short of the drop-off and covering his head with his hands.</p><p>"It's going to be hard for you to record everything if you're cowering in fear!" Lykos noted, growling as he transformed before crashing into the pack that was rushing them.</p><p>"That's what I do best though!" Cobalt shouted out above the chaos.</p><p>"Why the hell did we bring him with?" Ilia asked.</p><p>"If I attempt a skill roll, can I leave?" Cobalt requested.</p><p>"Titus needed to feel validated," Neela grunted as one of the beasts took her legs out from under her.</p><p>"Bái!" Titus shouted.</p><p>"On it!" She called to him, running to the front and forming an ice wall between them and the woods but the beasts climbed over it, the weight eventually shattering it.</p><p>"This is bad!" Ilia yelled.</p><p>"This is the best!" Tawney hollered in the midst of the creatures, unleashing her strength.</p><p>"We can handle this!" Titus announced just before being knocked off of his horse. The beowulves targeted him, pinning him and stripping off his armor as his sword clambered away as they ripped it from his grip, landing close to Cobalt.</p><p>"I'm not so sure about that!" Ilia shouted possessing the beasts on him and trying to remove them as Neela thinned their numbers.</p><p>"They seem endless!" Bái declared.</p><p>"That would be amazing!" Tawney added.</p><p>"Look out!" Neela yelled as she dove but her arm was caught by a manticore, more of which were being attracted to the area by the second. It began carrying her off as she found herself unable to draw her bow. "Help!"</p><p>"We need to retreat!" Ilia pleaded as she began falling back down the path. Cobalt watched as everything unfolded, still stricken with fear.</p><p>"Lykos!" Bái shouted to him, unable to spot him in the mass.</p><p>
  <em>Pick up the sword…</em>
</p><p>Cobalt glanced around, looking at it for a long moment before moving closer.</p><p>
  <em>You can do it, Cobalt</em>
</p><p>"Oum?" Cobalt asked.</p><p>
  <em>It doesn't really matter who this voice belongs to, it's just a clever plot device so you feel compelled to wield the sword and become the hero.</em>
</p><p>"Oh, okay. That's exactly what I figured it was," Cobalt noted as he snatched up the weapon and stood.</p><p>"Help!" Neela called out again from the distance.</p><p>"Alright, you Grimm assholes. In the words of my generation...Up yours!" Cobalt shouted as the sword's latent power activated and the light that shone from the weapon disintegrated the monsters instantly.</p><p>"You really just are the greatest thing since refined Dust inside of your head, aren't you?" Tawney asked. Cobalt looked across the lunch table at her before glancing at the rest of their friends staring at him.</p><p>"I thought that it was a cool dream…" Cobalt shrugged before taking a bite of his food.</p><p>"Maybe next time one of us can be the hero?" Bái questioned.</p><p>"I don't think he really has control over that," Lykos noted. Cobalt nodded and swallowed.</p><p>"Exactly, thank you," Cobalt said.</p><p>"If he did, Neela would be the hero every time," Lykos added.</p><p>"Huh?" Cobalt inquired.</p><p>"I mean, she's the strongest person we know," Lykos pointed out.</p><p>"For now!" Tawney spat with her mouth full.</p><p>"I mean, with stories, it's kind of situational," Cobalt explained.</p><p>"I'm the lead of my own story!" Tawney declared.</p><p>"Not exactly what I meant, but anyways… who do you guys think we'll be paired with?" Cobalt moved on.</p><p>"I'd say with any luck we'd be with Team ONYX, but I'm under the impression NITE will get to train with them," Lykos offered.</p><p>"It's not fair!" Tawney shouted.</p><p>"I think it's fair," Bái said. "Shouldn't NITE be trained by the best 3rd Year team? If they put a lesser team with NITE, it probably wouldn't be as beneficial."</p><p>"Still the lead in your own story?" Cobalt teased. Tawney growled.</p><p>"I'm gonna shove my tonfas so far up your ass that the doctor later in your life is going to assume you already had a colonoscopy!" Tawney shouted.</p><hr/><p>"Neela, I know this probably isn't the best time but Ilia and I decided on something and we think that you should hear us out," Titus stated as Neela closed the dorm room door behind her and flopped down onto her bed. They'd had a sale at the bookstore earlier that afternoon that had gone over far better than Fox had expected, leaving the two of them running to and fro, back and forth to make sure that the desk was properly manned, and that the books included were remaining stocked. She had absolutely no physical energy left, and judging by Titus's opening statement, she wasn't sure she was open to talking about what he and Ilia had decided on, whatever that meant.</p><p>"Do I wanna know," Neela's muffled voice escaped from her blanket as she attempted to roll over to face him but it was of no use.</p><p>"Ilia and I couldn't decide on someone to replace…" Titus began before reexamining his words. "We weren't sure who the best choice was to join our team. You can look the folder over if you'd like but Glynda wants to know by tomorrow or she's going to pick for us."</p><p>"Let her pick," Neela plainly replied, sighing. "You know that I can't do it." Titus nodded.</p><p>"I know, but we didn't think it would be fair if we didn't at least ask you to take a look at them," Ilia explained from her bunk. Neela nodded and grunted as she finally managed to roll over, but faced away from them instead of addressing them.</p><p>"Thanks," Neela noted. "I think sleep sounds good about now." Titus looked at Ilia and nodded as she leapt down, and joined him.</p><p>"We'll be down at the administrative building if you need us," Ilia said as they left the room and Neela was alone in her silence. She was tired, and she didn't feel like training. Eliana was gone, and now they wanted Neela to replace her. There was no escaping this nightmare, there was no light at the end of the tunnel. It was long, dark, and slowly filled with water. She let the escape of sleep slowly start to carry her away. As she began to drift off she began to imagine a scenario in which Eliana stayed but it didn't last long as she was awoken violently by someone shaking her.</p><p>"What? What is it?!" Neela asked as she forced herself out of her tired stupor, squinting hard at the figure above her.</p><p>"Your kind did this!" Titus shouted at her as he dragged her from the bed and tossed her to the floor.</p><p>"Titus!?" Neela stated in confusion as Ilia grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her down.</p><p>"If it wasn't for you, Eliana would still be here, wouldn't she?" Ilia hissed, attempting to kick Neela but she'd moved swiftly into the hall.</p><p>"What's gotten into you two?" Neela demanded.</p><p>"Us?" Titus replied. "You're the problem! If you'd stayed with the fang we could have stayed together. Eliana wouldn't have had to try and kidnap Shadow!"</p><p>"This is another nightmare, isn't it?" Neela pondered as she scrambled away from them.</p><p>"We'd be better off if you'd died in that hut from hypothermia!" Ilia exclaimed.</p><p>"We'd still have a complete team, that I would be leading!" Titus stated.</p><p>"This isn't real!" Neela yelled at them.</p><p>"Are you that out of it that you can't differentiate between reality and those nightmares you keep having?" Ilia questioned.</p><p>"You guys are my friends, I know better," Neela offered.</p><p>"Just like we thought we knew you?" Titus shot back. "You put us all in danger and you ruined Eliana's life!"</p><p>"Lies!" Eliana exclaimed stepping past Neela and blocking their path to her. "Neela did nothing wrong! I did!" Neela stared up at Eliana for a long moment.</p><p>"That's not true!" Neela screamed before an arrow struck Eliana in the forehead and she fell back, dissipating on contact with the floor as Neela found herself lying in the middle of an old abandoned throne room.</p><p>"Which is it?" A familiar voice asked Neela. She slowly sat up, turning around to face herself donning Athena's attire, Crimson on her left hand, and Ebony on her right. "One of the two of you has to be responsible for what happened, so which is it?"</p><p>"That's not true!" Neela shouted at herself, she found her feet quickly and was stopped short by Ebony. "Athena did this."</p><p>"Athena wanted what was best for all Faunus and you helped to make sure that her dream was never fully realized," the imposter cackled. "Which of you is at fault then!? Why would you throw away Athena's dream of paradise?! Was it not once your own dream, or have you forgotten?!"</p><p>"Athena wanted to watch the world burn!" Neela yelled trying to shove through Ebony.</p><p>"She wanted to protect you and all of the other Faunus from the humans," Fang Neela insisted.</p><p>"There's that 'we need to be protected from'," Neela informed the doppelganger. Her White Fang persona laughed again, placing a hand over her face.</p><p>"Soya? Zilla? Eliana? Haven't all of these people meant you harm?" Fang Neela questioned.</p><p>"Eliana was forced into it!" Neela debated as she took a few steps back.</p><p>"Does that matter?" Crimson pointed out.</p><p>"Of course it does! She wouldn't normally try anything like that!" Neela refuted.</p><p>"But she's capable, isn't she?" Fang Neela offered. "We're trying to open your eyes before it's too late, before one of them actually does betray you and commits to it."</p><p>"You're still one of us, Neela," Ebony noted.</p><p>"It's not too late," Fang Neela stated as she stood and began approaching the girl. "You can be the one that saves the Fang. They're all but gone and forgotten. What was left of their dream is no more than a figment of their imaginations, now having to live in fear of human control. It won't take much to push them over the edge again. You can lead them, Neela. You were always meant to."</p><p>"I'm a Faunus first and foremost," Neela agreed. "But I will never betray them."</p><p>"Even if they betray you?" Crimson asked, frowning. The scene disappeared and Eliana stood before her, clinging tight to Shadow.</p><p>"Elli," Neela began. "I was wrong to be angry at you. You had no other choice, it's okay that you didn't tell me."</p><p>"I would have done it the same way, every time," Eliana stated. Neela shook her head.</p><p>"That's not true," Neela insisted, approaching her.</p><p>"What if you hadn't been there to stop me? What if Athena had found out? What if they'd killed my mother? What if I'd given them Shadow…" Eliana ranted.</p><p>"Elli," Neela tried to cut her off but she took a step back.</p><p>"What if they'd gotten away with Shadow? What if one of us would have died? What if the Chameleon had killed you? Raven's death was all my fault. I don't deserve you. I don't deserve anyone to look at me like my father," Eliana droned.</p><p>"Eliana!" Neela shouted as the scene formed around them and Eliana stood along the cliffside.</p><p>"I betrayed you!" Eliana screamed.</p><p>"No!" Neela shouted, trying to grapple the girl. Eliana disappeared, replaced by Fang Neela who caught the grapple and pulled herself in, hanging her over the cliff's edge.</p><p>"Either Eliana is to blame, or you are!" Fang Neela reminded her. "Who is it then?"</p><p>"Me!" Neela confessed. Her duplicate shook her head and released her.</p><p>"So be it," Fang Neela stated as she fell. Neela's body was shocked awake as she hit the water, sputtering as actual water ran over her body, Titus and Ilia panicking above her.</p><p>"Neela?" Ilia asked.</p><p>"What the hell is going on?" Neela asked them. Ilia grabbed Neela and pulled her out of the shower as Titus turned the water off and let out a sigh of relief.</p><p>"You finally woke up," Titus exhaled.</p><p>"What… what the… Ilia…" Neela stammered as Ilia held her tight.</p><p>"This has to stop, Neela," Ilia pleaded with her as Titus rubbed his forehead.</p><p>"Was I having a nightmare again?" Neela asked Titus looking up at him. He nodded.</p><p>"Started having another nosebleed," Titus explained to her. "Ilia didn't want to see you being drugged again, so we decided if anything was going to do it, it would be the shower."</p><p>"Why didn't Ilia try jumping in?" Neela questioned.</p><p>"She did," Titus told her.</p><p>"You really have no idea when I'm in there, do you?" Ilia inquired. Neela shook her head.</p><p>"What did you see this time?" Titus asked Ilia.</p><p>"There's some kind of alternate Neela that always greets me," Ilia explained. "She's wearing what Athena wore and she always tries to tell me that 'I'm going to betray Neela' and that 'Neela will be the savior of the Faunus.'"</p><p>"Maybe you should stay at home the next few weeks until you have time to cope with our current situation," Titus suggested. "I doubt things are going to get too much better after our new teammate arrives."</p><p>"I'm fine," Neela waved him off, finally separating herself from Ilia. "I'm in it just as much now as I was before, I don't need special treatment."</p><p>"Not everyone can say they've been through what happened to you," Titus argued. "Perhaps I'll put in a formal request with Glynda to make sure that you have to sleep at your parents'."</p><p>"Titus!" Neela bit at him. Ilia grabbed Neela by the shoulders and her mind violently reverted back to the nightmare. <em>If it wasn't for you, Eliana would still be here, wouldn't she?</em> "I said that I'm fine."</p><p>"Please," Ilia begged her with wet eyes. "We think it'll help." Neela stared at Ilia for a long moment before glancing up at Titus.</p><p>"We're just worried about you," Titus assured her. Neela took a deep breath in before nodding slowly.</p><p>"Okay," she agreed. Ilia laughed in relief and wiped the tears away.</p><p>"Thank you," Ilia said, giving her another hug. Neela held her for a long moment before releasing and moving to the door.</p><p>"Just until I'm ready to come back," Neela noted.</p><p>"Sure," Titus concluded as she left. Ilia looked at him and sniffed.</p><p>"I'm worried about her," Ilia noted.</p><p>"I know, but she'll be fine," he insisted. "She's tough."</p><p>"Right," Ilia agreed with a nod. "I just hate seeing her like that."</p><p>"You and me both," Titus told her.</p><hr/><p>"Neela, you're really working yourself to the bone, aren't you?" Fox asked as she checked several of the books over and carried them out to the shelves.</p><p>"Idle hands are Salem's workshop," Neela laughed. "You don't have to worry about me, I have it all figured out. I have to keep my mind busy, or at least off of Eliana to the best of my ability, so this is the best way that I can think to do it. If I just keep at the grind and preoccupy myself with work and homework, I figure I can't have an episode." Neela's scroll rang and she hung up without looking at it.</p><p>"You're not going to answer that?" Fox questioned. Neela smiled and waved him off.</p><p>"It's probably nothing," Neela insisted. He chuckled sheepishly and shrugged.</p><p>"Lock up when you're done," he informed her as he grabbed his keys and left her in the store. Neela informed him that she would and glanced across the store where Eliana had once filled the corner with kids to tell them a story.</p><p>
  <em>"Settle down and we can get started, okay," Eliana told the kids. Neela could hear her from an aisle or two away and contemplated peaking out towards her but she denied herself the pleasure. She had work to do and she couldn't let Eliana distract her from it. She welcomed the chaos for a long moment, however, glad to hear the excited screams and giggles of children instead of the hate and fear that awaited her outside.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What's the name of the story, Elli?!" Shadow asked sitting in the front just inches from her, bouncing up and down on her knees before sitting cross-legged on the floor.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hmmm… let me think," Eliana pondered for a moment as she looked towards the ceiling and contemplated possible titles. "I know. The Huntress and the Claw."</em>
</p><p>"<em>Well?" Another kid insisted from the back.</em></p><p>
  <em>"Go ahead, Miss Elli," A young girl with three short, black, tail feathers pleaded.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Alright, calm down," Eliana said laughing as she leaned back in her chair. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was living with her parents inside of an evil organization called the Claw."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Are they like the Fang?" Shadow asked. Neela's head shot up from her work and she glanced back.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"The who?" Eliana inquired with a smile. "No idea what you're talking about."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What are you up to?" Neela mumbled under her breath as she moved a touch closer but stayed out of sight.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Anyway, this girl grew up under the Claw and she only knew what they knew what they taught her, which is that the Others were evil and they couldn't be trusted," Eliana explained. "The Others showed up and there was a huge fight and they saved the girl, showing her that the Others weren't evil like the Claw thought that they were."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What happens next?" the Faunus girl from before asked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"She got stronger, she grew up to be a beautiful, amazing Huntress!" Eliana detailed. "But the Claw came back and wanted her to return with them." Neela watched speechless for a long moment before stepping out past the shelves.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Then what?" Neela asked her. Eliana smiled softly at her, filling her with a warmth that she'd been missing recently.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"The Huntress loved the Others. She knew that what the Claw was saying wasn't true. She felt bad for them, but no matter how much they asked her to return, she stood her ground like a warrior. She didn't want to hurt them, but if it came to it, she wasn't going to let them hurt her new family and friends," Eliana said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Did she live happily ever after?" Shadow asked, forcing Eliana's eyes to leave Neela's.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You kids are way too easy to please," Eliana laughed. "There was a final battle between the Claw and the Huntress. She faced off against their leader! She was scared but her love of her family was stronger. Her aura was close to breaking but she fought off the leader and unleashed fury on her unlike any other, defeating her once and for all and ensuring the safety of the people that she cared about."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Now does she live happily ever after?" Shadow asked, her eyes wide. Eliana smiled softly at Neela a second time, her best friend's face bright red.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I sure hope so, Shadow," Eliana spoke softly.</em>
</p><p>Neela's scroll rang again bringing her back into the moment, but this time she took the time to acknowledge the caller. It was Yang.</p><p>"Hey mom," Neela replied sheepishly.</p><p>"You had better have a good reason for not answering my calls," Yang insisted as Neela held the scroll a little further from her ear.</p><p>"I was busy at work, sorry," Neela apologized.</p><p>"I know how scrolls work, Neela," Yang told her. "It didn't fully ring, you were actively hanging up." Neela sighed.</p><p>"I'm sorry, mom," she repeated. "You know I've been trying to keep Eliana off of my mind."</p><p>"Did you forget about Shadow?" Yang questioned. Neela stopped shelving books and remembered promising Shadow a girls' night.</p><p>"Right. Right! Sorry, mom," Neela started sounding like a broken record.</p><p>"Don't be sorry, just come home tonight and spend some time with your sister," Yang informed her before hanging up. Neela looked at the spot again before nodding slowly and grabbing the keys for lock-up.</p><p>"School has been soooo boring this year, Sissy," Shadow told Neela as the two of them fought each other with sticks in the backyard. "How has school been for you?"</p><p>"It's been okay," Neela replied. Shadow drove her sister back.</p><p>"Have you talked to Elli?" Shadow asked her, examining her stick for a moment.</p><p>"What?" Neela replied.</p><p>"Elli? Have you talked to her? I haven't seen her in a while, but she'll be coming back soon to visit, right?" Shadow questioned. Neela shrugged and Shadow attacked after taking her off guard.</p><p>"Hey!" Neela declared.</p><p>"Remember when we all played with Grandma Raven here?" Shadow asked her. Neela nodded, her mind now focusing on Shadow's question. Would Eliana come back soon? Would she ever come back? "Do you think that I'll get to use Grandma's sword in the future?"</p><p>"I… I don't know," Neela breathed heavily.</p><p>
  <em>"Elli and I will finish the other snowman and you put the arms on," Shadow instructed. Neela nodded and did as she was told as Shadow took a step back watching Neela. She shook her head and ran over. "No! You're doing it wrong, they need to hold hands!" Shadow wrenched the sticks out and fixed them, satisfied with her handiwork as the bird landed on Neela's shoulder again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Cute!" Eliana exclaimed. "Is it your mommies?" Shadow shook her head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's you and sissy!" Shadow exclaimed. Raven cackled in laughter and Neela shooed her off, stepping away from them and into the woods. "Sissy?"</em>
</p><p>"Elli…" Neela spoke softly as she passed out from exhaustion and hit the ground.</p><p>"Does that mean I win?" Shadow asked poking Neela with the stick. "Sissy? Mom!"</p><p>"What's wrong, Shadow?" Blake asked, popping her head out of the door and spotting Neela. Blake sighed and moved out to the girls, picking Neela up and carrying her into her bedroom.</p><p>"Is she okay?" Shadow asked, slightly panicked.</p><p>"Yes," Yang insisted. "Sissy has a lot of stress right now, and when she thinks about it too much she has to take a nap."</p><p>"I like taking naps to feel better," Shadow agreed. Yang nodded.</p><p>"It's like that," Yang agreed as Shadow followed Blake into Neela's room and curled up next to Neela on her bed.</p><p>"If it worked for Grandma Raven, it'll work for Neela too, right?" Shadow asked, looking at her mothers. Blake smiled sheepishly, trying to hide that she was upset from Shadow as Yang wrapped her arm around her wife and nodded to her daughter.</p><p>"Of course."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>More Cobalt shenanigans as usual. Next week, Chapter 5: Sting!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Sting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nero and Kitsune do their best to take down Strakh, but is it enough?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I don't know if this is really the best plan that you've ever come up with, Lieutenant General, but I hate every second of it up to this point," Neró told Kitsune as he straightened his tie out for what felt like the fourth or fifth time since he had reached the door of the small sandstone shack and knocked. He had been out here with Kitsune for months, that felt more like an eternity, and she informed them that they needed to seize this opportunity, even if it seemed unlikely to work. If they were successful, they'd have enough information on Strakh to take him down and put him away for good, and if they failed, it was likely they'd scare him for a bit and he'd have to rethink this business strategy. The latter was hardly ideal, but it was worth the risk and the temporary release it would provide the economy with would be welcomed. She tapped on her microphone to make sure that his earpiece was working properly.</p><p>"For a guy who is being sent into a strip club undercover, you sure are complaining an awful lot," Kitsune informed him as she looked over the schematics and the layout of the building. "I've been in there too many times for me to get away with anything that would be of any use. Do as I say and you'll be fine and remember that the strip club is just a front."</p><p>"The strip club is a front?" Neró asked, waiting for instructions. "Isn't something else normally a front for the strip club? I would imagine that's the case since this exterior is a bit run down and dilapidated."</p><p>"There are two fronts, okay? I'll tell you what you need to know, just follow my lead," Kitsune instructed.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Neró replied before straightening up as the door opened and he was greeted by a man who was dressed in rags. Was this right?</p><p>"Piss off man," the drifter shouted at him. "Can't you see this place is occupied?"</p><p>"I was informed that I needed to see Strakh at his soonest convenience," Neró claimed as he handed over an identification badge. "I'm one of the heads to research and development at the SDC and I was told that if I helped him in creating an artificial batch of Dust it would prove most lucrative for the both of us." The beggar looked at it for a long moment, almost as if he was confused before slamming the door in Neró's face and leaving him standing at the end of the empty dark alley all alone. "This isn't going well."</p><p>"You really need to calm down," Kitsune reassured him. "All according to plan so far."</p><p>"Even the hobo stealing my ID?" Neró questioned.</p><p>"Even that," Kitsune sighed as she took a drink of her water and peered out the end of the van at him.</p><p>"I'm not following but I'm sure…" Neró started before he was cut off by the door opening once more and he was welcomed in by a man wearing a suit and was similar to him in stature.</p><p>"Professor Creel," he greeted him.</p><p>"Is Strakh ready for our meeting?" Neró asked. The man chuckled pulling him in, closing the door behind him, and leaving the two of them alone in the empty, run-down room.</p><p>"Hope you don't mind that I used your real name for your cover," Kitsune chuckled into the mic as she moved to the passenger's seat and motioned for her driver to take them down the street.</p><p>"He's been waiting for you all day, actually can't get him to shut up about your meeting," the bouncer insisted. "He thought that you might enjoy a showing of his hospitality as we finish preparing everything for the two of you."</p><p>"I guess it would be wrong of me to say no then," Neró offered with a fake smile and the bouncer chuckled as he moved to the wall behind Neró and pulled a lever. Silently the entire room descended into the ground, the space above them covered with a floor that closed back up to give a similar appearance and they rode in darkness for what felt to be about a minute. The wall slid open once the elevator had come to a stop and Neró was greeted with more scantily clad women and flashing lights in his eyes than he'd ever imagined, only finally stepping off of the elevator when he was prompted. Girls wearing only a little more than bra and panties greeted him with pained smiles, offering him drinks and horderves that he graciously declined, leaning back to the bouncer as the man nearly slipped past him.</p><p>"Where would you like me to wait while your boss finishes preparing?" Neró asked as he grabbed the man.</p><p>"I must have forgotten myself," he chuckled. "We have a VIP booth set up for you and one of Strakh's best will be there to tend to you during the wait." Neró nodded and smiled as the man led him to the booth and left him to his own devices, thanking the man one last time before he disappeared. He glanced out, men threw their lien at the women who graced the poles in the middle of the floor, who seemed miserable but they had all been forced into this, hadn't they? No one had ever dared tell Strakh no to anything for fear of repercussions, and so the man did as he pleased and saw fit. Sad and terrified women filled the club, a booth secluded by no more than a thin fabric gave Neró an occasional view, the man gripping the woman's wrists tightly and pulling her closer as she whimpered and protested.</p><p>"I paid good money for you to make me feel good!" The man growled before whispering in her ear. "Now make me feel good."</p><p>"Touching isn't allowed… sir…" She managed.</p><p>"That so?" He breathed heavily with an eerie and menacing smile. "For the right price, I know Strakh will let me have my way with you for the evening. Maybe you should be a little more giving before I take exactly what I want."</p><p>"Yes sir…" She sighed knowing better than to resist any further. Neró pushed his earpiece in further as he tried to get comfortable, ignoring what was happening in the booth across from him for the sake of the mission.</p><p>"Did I mention that I don't want to be here?" Neró noted.</p><p>"Why's that?" Kitsune questioned. "Not into women?"</p><p>"That's not the issue," Neró offered as he shrugged and tried to relax.</p><p>"What's the problem then?" She asked him, her voice left her sounding as though she was struggling "You don't have a woman that you've even told me about. Someone caught your eye?"</p><p>"You could say that," He explained.</p><p>"Who's the lucky lady?" She pried.</p><p>"Can we discuss this later?" He pleaded.</p><p>"Yeah, sure, but you totally have to tell me," she insisted. He sat alone for several minutes, waiting for the woman to come in and starting to wonder if they'd figured him out and were going to detain or fight him. Per Kitsune's instructions, he'd left his weapons in the van, and though they weren't entirely sure what Strakh's semblance was, or if he even had one, there had to be a reason that he hadn't been taken down yet. Out of the corner of his eye, she appeared as he was looking towards the main floor, something soft brushing his face and grabbing his attention. "How do I look?" His eyes drank her in briefly before he blushed hard and squirmed back in his seat.</p><p>"Kitsune, what the hell are you doing here?!" He asked her.</p><p>"You didn't think that I had been coming here for the hell of it in my free time the last couple of months, did you?" She chuckled. "You also didn't answer my question from before?" Her tail draped over her right shoulder and she pet it as she leaned forward, giving him a view of her cleavage down her black lace push up bra that complimented her boy short bottoms.</p><p>"I'm not sure there's an appropriate answer that I can give my commanding officer," he swallowed hard. She smiled and wiggled happily.</p><p>"That good, huh?" She noted as she took a seat on his lap promptly.</p><p>"Kitsune!" He stammered.</p><p>"Shhhh…" She hushed him. "He's coming back to take you to Strakh. Request to have me come with you."</p><p>"I don't know if that's a good idea," Neró exhaled.</p><p>"And I'm your commanding officer," she breathed into his ear, sending a shudder down his spine.</p><p>"Are we ready?" The bouncer asked as he approached them and Neró gathered his thoughts.</p><p>"Quite," he managed to wait for Kitsune to leap off of him before standing up.</p><p>"I don't think she's ever taken a liking to anyone that fast," the bouncer stated.</p><p>"Lien talks," Neró joked, throwing an arm over the man's shoulder. "Does Strakh mind if I bring her with me?" The bouncer looked Kitsune over and thought about it momentarily before nodding and laughing hard.</p><p>"Sure! What's another bitch in a Strakh meeting, right?" He chortled loudly. Neró faked a laugh in agreement before motioning for Kitsune to head out in front of them. He did his best to ignore her as she smiled back at the bouncer, his jaw unhinging slightly in a stupid smile and Neró was sure she was using her semblance on him. He reached out to grab her but she slapped his hand away and scolded him with a wag of her finger.</p><p>"Unpaid services might result in termination, and we wouldn't want to get on Strakh's bad side," she teased with a wink. A wave of heat crashed into Neró as the doors to the meeting room were opened and he adjusted his tie. Strakh gave a devious smirk as they came into the room, a woman on each arm who looked even more miserable than the ones that were out on the floor, and one of them had a black eye that was still swollen. He looked up at the ladies and strong-armed the injured one down towards him so he could speak louder to her.</p><p>"Give our guests a smile, beautiful," he spat. The way he called her beautiful disgusted Neró and he nearly dry heaved, sitting down as Kitsune pulled his seat out. She complied and he scowled, releasing her, and mumbling something to himself that Neró couldn't make out before making eye contact. "Doctor Creel. What a pleasure that you might finally be able to join us and we can put your knowledge of Dust to better use than the SDC ever could have. It's my understanding that the SDC refused to look into artificial Dust because it can be less stable and powerful than the real stuff, and that's the reason that you decided to leave, right?" Neró swallowed and nodded as Kitsune rubbed his shoulders.</p><p>"That's right," Neró repeated. "The Atlas Military failed to see the potential that it had in a world that is slowly running out of natural Dust deposits." Strakh nodded and chuckled as he glanced back at something towards the dark corner of the room.</p><p>"I guess Schnee must have higher standards than Ironwood," Strakh laughed. "After all of the Dust that I've stolen from the SDC, and the fiasco on Menagerie, you would think that Atlas would do anything to keep their precious resource flowing in. But I see your potential doctor, and that's why I've brought you on board." Strakh nodded to the bouncer who moved to the corner of the room and rummaged about in a large duffle bag, producing two jars and bringing them to the table.</p><p>"What's in it for me if I agree?" Neró questioned. Strakh through his head back and cackled as he shook his head.</p><p>"What's in it for you?!" He bellowed frightening the women. "You'll become the second richest man in the kingdom of Vacuo!" Strakh finally took note of Kitsune who licked her lips as he undressed her with his eyes. "I can probably even throw in one of these whores too… or a few if this works out!" Kitsune released Neró and began making his way to Strakh but was stopped by the bouncer. She toyed with him, brushing his chin with her tail to try and coax him to let her through as Strakh slobbered over her before returning to the matter at hand. "Take a look at this."</p><p>"The growth of these is amazing," Neró stated as he took the culture jar and examined it. He was by no means an expert on Dust, but he knew enough that he could make conversation in situations like these. "Highly pressurized, no doubt."</p><p>"Of course," Strakh explained. "But no matter the pressure, we can't seem to generate enough to stabilize the crystallization process. If you make an attempt to relieve the pressure or open the lid, the Dust will become liquid and it's less than useless in such a state."</p><p>"Have you thought of submitting it to excess amounts of negative pressure?" Neró offered before setting the jar back down.</p><p>"No…" Strakh mumbled as he considered the reaction of the Dust. "It might work!" He stood slowly and shook the women off of his as he reached across the table to shake Neró's hand. "I should expect to see you at my lab tomorrow! They'll give you instructions as you leave. If this goes well, perhaps you'll be able to assist with the Sergius Project!" The doors that Neró and Kitsune had entered opened, revealing Jett who stood in the exit for a long moment staring at the scene before her.</p><p>"She's Atlas Military!" Jett shouted. Strakh stared intensely at the two of them, still shaking Neró's hand. He gripped tightly, inhumanely as he crushed Neró's hand and the soldier snatched it back in pain as the two strippers ran for the rear exit.</p><p>"You thought that you could take me down?!" Strakh thundered. His fist came down, smashing the table in two as he lifted up his half and batted away both Kitsune and the bouncer, making an exit as swiftly as possible as he hobbled away. Neró used his hand that was still intact to lift his half of the table and block the two kukris that Jett had thrown at him, turning himself into wood as he rushed and slammed into her to give them an exit.</p><p>"I have to go after Strakh!" Kitsune informed him as she leapt to her feet at the same time as the bouncer. He swung at her and she sidestepped, dodging with ease as she punched him in the throat, a second blow to his jaw taking him down quickly. She removed the gun from his body before scrambling through the room and crashing through the exit, which Strakh neglected to lock behind him.</p><p>"Salem's work will be done!" Jett shouted at him as he struggled with her. He reached for her mask, failing to grip it as he looked for something to transform his skin into.</p><p>"We stopped her once, I doubt there's anything to worry about this time either," he grunted. She kicked him, throwing him back into the room as she lifted her hand, gravity Dust activating in her gloves, bringing her blades back to her.</p><p>"You didn't stop her," Jett corrected. "You think Athena was a coincidence? Team RWBY's time is coming… do you think the next generation is ready?"</p><p>"I don't care much for your drabble," he groaned as he reached up quick and snatched a second gun off of the bouncer's ankle, turning himself into metal and opening fire on Jett who took off through the building, the shots causing a commotion as the patrons began panicking and scattering. "Dammit!" He pushed through the crowd, several members of security opening fire on him and the bullets ricochet off. "Move! Get out of the way! Official Atlas Military, move!"</p><hr/><p>"Strakh! I am Lieutenant General Kitsune Aka! Come with me and I won't be forced to kill you!" She demanded, slowly moving down the service hallway which she had to assume he always used to enter and exit the building for security purposes.</p><p>"You'd blindly follow the people that lead you just because Salem offers something that they cannot and it scares them," Strakh's voice thundered towards her and reverberated. "That you would go to such extents to try and catch me. It must be cold wearing such little clothing, especially on a night such as this."</p><p>"I don't think you understand the concept of irony," she replied as she continued down the corridor, gun at the ready as she aimed down the sights and checked the few crates that she passed for the man or the two women that were with him. "I'd go as far as I have to if it means keeping the people that I love safe."</p><p>"I suppose I used to feel that way," Strakh's voice softened. "But I realized how foolish it was." As she reached the exit door she threw it open, shocked to find that it didn't lead out into an alley but instead to an entryway where Strakh was free to remove his coat and change clothing at his leisure. As she took a step in something moved to her right, Strakh smashed the gun out of her hand with a pipe before swinging for her, she could see the strength course through his body before channeling through the weapon, blasting apart most of her aura as she flew back down the hall in a daze, slamming into one of the crates which brought her to a stop. "Self-preservation is far more important, wouldn't you agree?" He slammed the door back shut and she heard it lock. He'd toyed with her, letting her think that she had a chance of catching him. She groaned as she tried to stand but her head was spinning.</p><p>
  <em>Kitsune, you alright?</em>
</p><p>"Sure," she managed as she forced herself up and headed for the door.</p><p>
  <em>They treat us like garbage, and we just take it!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The White Fang keeps acting out, dad! As long as we meet them with violence to force them to meet our demands, they'll keep responding with violence!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What do you know about it anyway?! I think I know how to shut you up!</em>
</p><p>Kitsune sprinted for the door and pressed her body against it, waiting as she closed her eyes and concentrated.</p><p>"Come on," Strakh demanded to the girls with him. "The night is young and I need to take out my aggression."</p><p>"You have to admit that she was quite cute," one of his concubines noted.</p><p>"She was a looker," Strakh agreed "But you ladies will do just as well."</p><p>"I want…" The second said as she moved to the door, Strakh putting on his coat and reaching up to grab down his cane. "I want to see her once more."</p><p>"I'm sure we'll see her again," he grumbled before turning around to find the other girl opening the door. "Hey!" Kitsune crashed through as soon as it was unlocked, taking aim quickly and shooting Strakh in his good kneecap. The man dropped quickly, the girls screaming in horror as Kitsune breathed heavily. She grabbed the girl to her right who was stunned and kissed her deeply, using her sexual energy to repair her aura as she took another step towards Strakh.</p><p>"This is it," Kitsune stated. "You're under arrest, and the council has a few questions for you…"</p><p>"I don't think so!" Jett yelled, throwing open the opposite door. Her appearance took Kitsune off guard, Jett's blades slamming into Kitsune's shoulders as a bullet glanced off of her mask. Jett activated the gravity Dust, pushing Kitsune all the way down the hall before checking on Strakh. "You're useless."</p><p>"Shut up, you bitch, and kill her!" Strakh barked as he writhed in pain. Jett shook her head, grabbing his arm and dragging him mercilessly out into the alley.</p><p>"Get him out of here," Jett demanded of the driver. She smiled at Strakh as she flipped him off. "Come here, Kitsune. It's playtime."</p><p>
  <em>I'm not sure where Jett went, you still on Strakh's tail?</em>
</p><p>"Come to Stakh's exit," Kitsune grunted, pulling the knives out of her body. "I have visual on Jett but Strakh got away."</p><p>
  <em>On my way!</em>
</p><p>"Make it quick!" Kitsune requested. The knives flew past her as Jett caught them and shook her head, ripping the door free from its hinges and tossing it down the hallway at Kitsune who barely managed to get out of the way.</p><p>"You'll never understand because you've been raised to think that Salem was the problem instead of the solution. Abigor described to us the horrors that the lamp revealed to him. Even Jinn had been instructed to hide the truth originally, the brother gods were nothing to fear compared to what comes next if we do not bring Salem back," Jett tried to explain. Kitsune fired as she sprinted at the woman, Jett deflecting with her blades.</p><p>"You all think just because you can come up with some sort of nonsensical story about how Salem is trying to save everyone that we'll just let you get away with your crimes?" Kitsune scoffed. Jett swung her blades as Kistsune moved in on her, using her arms to deflect the blows at the handles, impressing Jett.</p><p>"As if the Atlas Military can speak of ethics in exchange of power," Jett jested. She leapt back as the door behind her was opened, grabbing Neró's arm and throwing him over her head with supernatural strength, slamming him down onto his back. "If only we had more time to debate."</p><p>"We can have all the time that you want if you come with us," Kitsune spat as she glanced down at Neró who was struggling to find his feet in the pain. "You can have an interrogation cell all to yourself."</p><p>"Truly, too kind," Jett mumbled with an eye roll. She gripped her weapons' handles for a moment before her body was turned to gravity Dust, confusing and visibly terrifying Kitsune as she pulled Neró up quickly. Jett looked herself over. "This is interesting."</p><p>"You might want to turn into metal," Kitsune told Neró who was shaken. He glanced back at Jett before looking at Kitsune, glancing at the gun in his hand before looking back up at his commanding officer.</p><p>"I can't!" He shouted.</p><p>"Good night!" Jett commanded. Her body exploded with gravity Dust, throwing the two of them into the wall behind them, knocking out Neró whose head met a pipe and leaving Kitsune's aura broken. Jett moved to the girl, her body returning to flesh as she tilted her head. Jett lifted her up gently by the neck. "What a waste…" Kitsune gripped her with what strength she had left and kissed her neck hard, biting the woman as she held the back of her head, hoping to get enough energy back to grab Neró and save face but nothing happened.</p><p>"I… I can't…?" She stuttered before she hit the floor and Jett kicked her in the temple.</p><p>"Not a lot of people willingly let me borrow their semblance," Jett chuckled as she moved to Neró and kissed him hard on the lips, taking enough of his life force to leave him unconscious and restoring her own aura before picking him up and leaving the building. "Time to find out what you know."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Seems things didn't go as planned for Atlas. Next week, Chapter 6: Best</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Best</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Glynda chose a teammate for NITE, but... he's a little rough around the edges...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"First practice one on one of the year and it should be a good one!" Ilia exclaimed as she took her seat in the stands and Neela sat beside her. Cobalt, Tawney, and Bái sat in the row above them, trying to make themselves comfortable as more of the student body began to pour in to watch the bout. The first years were more or less there against their will, recommended by teachers that they attend the spars of the upperclassmen and take notes that might benefit them in the future. Anyone in the classes above NITE was there to see how the new prospects looked, and a match between the current second and third best students of the second years was nothing to yawn at. Neela had begged and pleaded to be allowed to participate, but Ren couldn't permit her to do so. Neela was having fewer nightmares, but they were almost growing more extreme in strength, and she often woke up exhausted with very little aura remaining intact. Whether or not this was going to cause health issues long term was yet to be determined.</p><p>Ilia's misplaced enthusiasm brought Neela as much comfort as it did nausea. Eliana had always been overly excited about every battle that they spectated, whether it was cheering too loudly from the stands relentlessly for Neela to win, or fangirling over cool semblances and weapons when Neela was beside her. Neela did her best to shake it off, she didn't want Ilia to worry any more than she had been, Titus had told her that Ilia had been having trouble eating and was feeling off seeing Neela in such a state and Neela put on her best smile for the girl. Team NITE was her family as much as Shadow and her mothers and she would never want them to have to worry about her that excessively.</p><p>"Agreed," Neela offered as she looked down at the two of them. Lykos had become more confident and pushed himself harder every day, purely for the sake of being a better person and being as strong as he could to defend Bái from any danger that might present itself to her. On the flip side, there was Titus who desired to be the very best and had his sights on moving into second place before making a move on Neela. He'd begun mastering his semblance since the battle at the end of last year, but it still drained his aura faster than he liked and decided not to use it in a real fight except for last-ditch efforts until he had a better handle on it. "Should be a good one."</p><p>"Heard about Eliana…" Rowan whispered to Cobalt from another row back. "If Neela needs a shoulder to cry on or a bed to fall into…"</p><p>"How about you buzz off before I punch you in the nuts?" Tawney replied as she glared at him. Rowan looked at her for a long moment before folding his arms and leaning back.</p><p>"Bunch of prudes," Rowan groaned. Ivory rubbed her forehead.</p><p>"You really think <em>now</em> is the best time?" Ivory questioned. Vin walked past their row and sat on the opposite side of Ilia who smiled at him as she slowly offered her hand for him to take.</p><p>"Where's Yvonne?" Cobalt asked. Rowan chuckled.</p><p>"Beginning of the new school year with all of this new blood? Where do you think she is?" Rowan offered. Cobalt nodded his head and sighed.</p><p>"You don't have to see her exclusively you know," Tawney reminded him. "We're at the Academy. Go enjoy what life has to offer." Cobalt looked at her for a moment as she stared intently ahead as Pyrrha took the floor. He wanted to ask her why she was being personable to him for once but decided it was better not to ask.</p><p>"Students, please settle down," Pyrrha announced, reaching the middle of the arena and looking to both of the fighters with a nod. "I'd like to present both Lykos and Titus as the first official fight of the year. Both students are in their second year at Beacon, though they're among the best of you in ranking overall. If Titus wins this bout he'll claim second place. Once I have left the designated boundaries I'll give the word for the two of you to begin."</p><p>"Pleasure fighting you," Lykos called out.</p><p>"You won't be saying that after I beat you!" Titus laughed. Lykos crouched slightly, prepared to sprint straight for Titus.</p><p>"Is that so?" Lykos asked with a smirk.</p><p>"He smiles?" Ilia asked.</p><p>"That's unnerving," Neela added. Bái chuckled.</p><p>"We're working on that," Bái insisted.</p><p>"Ready?" Pyrrha asked as she floated up into the bleachers. The two men stared each other down, waiting for Pyrrha's word. "Go!"</p><p>Lykos took off in a sprint as Titus slammed his kopides into the ground, the earth splitting as pikes formed and moved out from Titus in a line directly for Lykos who dove out of the way, rolling to a stop as he threw his shuriken. Titus sliced the air, knocking them off course with a wave of gravity Dust as he moved towards Lykos with astonishing speed. The shurikens beat Titus to Lykos and he formed them into his second weapon, managing to toss one of Titus's blades away after wrapping it with his whip. Titus reached for it out of instinct, the other sword greeted with a similar tactic. Titus smirked as lightning Dust surged through the kopis and disrupted the stars, blasting the weapons away from them as Titus took a step forward and gripped Lykos, tossing him away and using another blast of gravity Dust to further the gap. The shurikens danced past Titus back to Lykos, glancing off of the militant's arms.</p><p>Titus slammed his weapons into the ground once more, another line of pikes raced across the ground towards Lykos again who dove out of the way easily enough before a surge of gravity Dust raced through the first attack, shattering the pikes in a wave as it threw Lykos off balance once more. Titus raced for his opponent, leaving one kopide in the ground behind him.</p><p>"This is new…" Neela said leaning forward in her seat. Titus met Lykos once more who formed his whip, instead gripping Titus arm this time and tossing him away, Titus coating his blade in earth Dust and stopping on a dime, racing back in and dodging another swing, trapping Lykos in place with a blast of the Dust to his legs. Titus leapt back as his second blade activated a few moments later, Dust surging through the ground beneath them before trapping Lykos in an earthen dome. Titus smirked and chuckled to himself.</p><p><em>Based on the principle of Neela's delayed arrows, only my attack uses the signal and location of the first to know where the second needs to be.</em> Titus glanced up at his teammates, slamming his kopis into the ground one final time to finish Lykos off. Without warning a blast from inside of the dome erupted, shattering it as a swarm of Baby Deathstalker's poured out. Titus tried to look past the illusion, but it was clear that Lykos was getting better, either blending himself in or making himself invisible. The lightning meant for Lykos blasted out anyway, sending shuriken flying towards Titus faster than he could block. Several of them met his skin and tore away at his aura before scattering once more and falling to the floor.</p><p>Titus lifted his sword, using gravity Dust to pull the other towards him but as it approached Lykos appeared holding the handle, his feet planting into Titus' chest as he arrived and the momentum of the Dust's pull allowing them to continue on for several feet. Lykos landed as Titus stumbled back, barely setting himself in time to block his own blade wielded by Lykos. Lykos smirked again as he pulled the trigger, earth Dust coating Titus's legs this time.</p><p>"I used your blade during that blast of lightning to pull my shuriken into me, hence why that attack didn't work as well the second time," Lykos explained as he pulled his stars back to him. "Your move."</p><p>Titus sheathed the tip of his blade in the floor again, creating an explosion using fire Dust that knocked Lykos off-balance, allowing him enough time to free his legs as he unleashed another explosion upon impact with his other blade. It flew from Lykos's hands, Titus gripped his arm and swung him over his head as just his arm coated itself in stone.</p><p>"He's trying to finish it quickly," Ilia noted. Lykos hit the floor with a crash, the audible thud drawing gasps from the crowd. Lykos chuckled, unnerving Titus who glanced quickly at the board to see that he had only chipped away a quarter of Lykos's aura.</p><p>"He's been working on strengthening his aura since his Semblance doesn't benefit him the most in these kinds of battles," Bái explained.</p><p>"That hurt," Lykos grunted. His shuriken came back to him, moving in and out at will as Titus tried his best to avoid and deflect them with one blade and his petrified arm, his choice to use his semblance burning his aura faster than the actual attack, and Lykos leapt to his feet. "I have to say, on anyone else that would have worked."</p><p>"I should have paced myself," Titus seethed as Lykos removed a small satchel of Dust from his pelt and rubbed it on his hand, slamming his open palm into Titus's chest. The gravity Dust erupted and threw Titus back to his sword as his aura shattered.</p><p>"Lykos is the winner!" Pyrrha announced.</p><p>"That was short," Cobalt noted.</p><p>"Would've been a lot shorter if it had been you down there," Tawney said as she stood up and left. Cobalt watched her for a long moment before nodding.</p><p>"There's the Tawney we know and love," Cobalt said.</p><p>"You sure you don't want to ask her if she needs a little bit of love to get through the week?" Rowan asked. Ilia and Neela were talking to each other about Titus as he approached the wall with a look of defeat in his body language.</p><p>"I guess it depends on how quickly you want an arrow, two kopides, and two-bladed, tonfa, SMGs through your chest," Cobalt replied. "Lay off, would you? Besides, not really sure that she's into guys at all."</p><p>"Put in a good word for me then!" Ivory pled.</p><p>"I thought you had the hots for Ilia," Rowan reminded her.</p><p>"I have to keep my options open," Ivory said, folding her arms as she stood. "A lot of cute girls at this school after all."</p><p>"I guess we agree on one thing," Rowan laughed as he followed her out of the arena. Cobalt watched for a moment as Glynda approached Pyrrha and whispered something to her. He rubbed his face and motioned for Bái to follow him.</p><p>"Let's go meet up with Lykos," Cobalt told her.</p><p>"Is today the day?" Bái asked. Cobalt nodded. "You don't want to stick around and meet them?"</p><p>"I'm going to guess that today will be the worst day for that," Cobalt offered as he began heading out with Bái behind him.</p><p>"You did great!" Ilia told him. Titus glared at her for a long moment before exhaling and shaking his head.</p><p>"I could have done better," he explained as he turned around and spotted Glynda. "I'll be right back." He walked across the floor and approached her.</p><p>"Are the three of you ready?" Glynda asked him with a smile.</p><p>"No, I don't think that we are," Titus clarified. "Are you absolutely sure that we can't wait any longer? I think if we gave Neela another week that she might be a little more accepting of this guy…"</p><p>"While I respect your concern for your teammate, Mr. Prasinos, we must keep moving forward," Glynda explained.</p><p>"And we can just give us a week! I only want what's best for my team, Ms. Goodwitch," Titus declared.</p><p>"And what would you have me do with him now that he's here and waiting?" Glynda inquired.</p><p>"A week of study hall? Let him hang out around town and throw some lien at him for a place to stay?" Titus offered. "Just a few more days, that's all."</p><p>"He joins NITE today, and that's final," Glynda informed him as she sauntered past him towards Ilia and Neela and beckoned them down with a single finger. Titus balled his fists as he followed after her. He was unsure as to why Glynda felt such a rush to get a new student in Eliana's place, it wasn't as if there would be any freak attacks like Athena anytime soon, and Eliana could still come back for all they knew. Titus was usually the rational one… but for once he hoped that Eliana would come back. He understood that filling the spot and training with a replacement was better than assuming, but he refused to accept it. "Attention, ladies!"</p><p>"Is it already that time?" Neela whispered to Ilia.</p><p>"What's up?"Ilia asked, leaping over the railing with Neela close behind.</p><p>"Your new teammate is starting today," Glynda informed them.</p><p>"Where are they?" Titus questioned as he looked around the room.</p><p>"Coco was looking for a school uniform that would fit him but then she was supposed to send him right over," Glynda explained. "Since the three of you neglected to choose anyone I chose Eren Prince from Mistral."</p><p>"Wasn't he the sketchy looking one?" Titus asked, trying to recall the photos he skimmed over.</p><p>"We do not judge people based on their appearance, Mr. Prasinos," Glynda scolded. "Besides, once he's in a school uniform he'll look just as clean as anyone else."</p><p>"Sorry to burst your bubble, Teach, but I wouldn't be caught dead in those rags," the new student exclaimed as he burst through the doors with Coco on his heels. The light shining in from outside made it hard to make him out right away, though his shadow loomed large and Titus figured Eren was probably as tall as he was. The teacher shut the door behind him, allowing them a better look at their soon to be teammate as he made his way towards the middle of the floor. He had a movement about his walk, confidence with a bit of a flaunt as he drew closer with a smirk, making Ilia a little uneasy. "Shade's agrees with me."</p><p>"For the last time, my name is Mrs. Adel, and as much as I hate the school uniform's I think it would have been wise to wear it to this introduction to your new teammates," Coco clarified. Eren waved her off with his hand and shook his head, walking right up to Neela and stopping a few inches from her. She looked him over, his short white hair accented by black highlights, solidifying his pseudo-emo status within her mind. He wore a black trench coat that just barely didn't reach his knees, throwing it back as he reached her so they could all observe his weapon, a comically large pistol that Neela assumed was a hand cannon. He wore no undershirt, his jeans were more tattered than actual denim, and his look was completed with a pair of boots that had thick mud caked on. His red eyes read her own, a scar at an angle through his left eyebrow drew her attention, but not as much as the light brown, thick, pointed scales that covered his right arm. He was a Faunus.</p><p>"I'm going to have to ask that you put a shirt on, Mr. Prince," Glynda informed him as he turned back to her. A thin scrap of metal attached to a worn strip of leather reflected light as he turned to face her.</p><p>"Then maybe someone should tell that to the kid with the Grimm pelt on," Eren debated. Glynda glanced at Coco.</p><p>"Lykos doesn't wear a shirt?" Glynda asked Coco. Coco sighed.</p><p>"He never has," Coco noted. Eren winked at the two of them before turning to Neela once more.</p><p>"You must be Neela," he guessed with a smile. "Hawk eyes. Guess we'll have no issues getting along then."</p><p>"That's yet to be seen," She replied with her arms folded. He chuckled and nodded.</p><p>"I like her," Eren admitted. "Maybe we can get to know each other better this evening…"</p><p>"Not a chance," Ilia said, pushing herself in between the two of them.</p><p>"I'd hate to have to hurt you already," Titus noted, gripping his shoulder. Eren looked back at Titus and sized him up before taking a step back away from the women. He shrugged Titus off and rotated his shoulder, chuckling with a hand over his face.</p><p>"I'll be leading this team in no time," he scoffed.</p><p>"Is that so?" Neela asked, stepping around from around Ilia.</p><p>"Neela…" Ilia tried to stop her.</p><p>"No, let him speak his mind," Neela insisted.</p><p>"Enough!" Coco interjected. "I suggest that you all try to get along, tomorrow you all have training together early in the AM, and later this week you'll be meeting the third years that are going to help you this year."</p><p>"I already know I've got more skill than you, Little Hawk," he barked. Coco shot a look at Neela, followed by Titus and Ilia a second later. The color drained from Neela's face before being replaced with a red hot unbridled rage. She removed her scroll and punched something in.</p><p>"Neela," Titus tried to stop her as he took a step towards the girl.</p><p>"Headmistress, I'd like to fight Eren, officially, right now," Neela requested.</p><p>"Permission granted," Glynda agreed as she began walking away.</p><p>"Glynda!" Coco exclaimed, chasing her down. "This is a bad idea!"</p><p>"I think you're mistaken," Glynda replied.</p><p>"Neela's not ready for a fight, and this kid is pretty skilled," Coco noted. "You might be thinking this is a great way to wake Neela up and show her she needs to move on, but if he wins he'll be painted as the bad guy and they're going to have an even worse time getting along."</p><p>"Assuming she loses," Glynda corrected. Neela's locker crashed through the ceiling, opening and presenting her with her bow and arrows as she closed it and sent it back to its dock, Ilia grabbing Neela by the arm and pulling her to the side for a second.</p><p>"Get out of the way, this will be short," Eren jested.</p><p>"Neela, he didn't know about that name, you don't need to do this," Ilia begged her.</p><p>"I'll be fine," Neela insisted. "This asshole needs to be taught his place."</p><p>"Titus!" Ilia called to him.</p><p>"I'm with Neela for once," Titus answered as he moved towards Coco and Glynda.</p><p>"You don't even know what my semblance is, but I know all about you," Eren insisted. "You've been in the public eye for a long time, and after watching you fight during the tournament, I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm in for." He stretched and reached down to touch his toes.</p><p>"You're right, I didn't give you a second glance when they gave me a list of possible new students because you looked underwhelming," Neela told him. "You went to Anzen Academy, and even though you had the option to transfer to Haven you waited until your second year to try and transfer, but why?"</p><p>"Less talking," Eren demanded.</p><p>"On my mark," Coco yelled out sheepishly, still in disagreement with the decision.</p><p>"Concentrate on the fight," Titus shouted.</p><p>"Get set!" Coco continued.</p><p>"You can do this!" Ilia encouraged.</p><p>"Go!" Coco shouted. Eren took off in a sprint from a three-point stance, a kinetic blast from his starting panel threw him forward as he reached Neela much sooner than she expected, batting down a long dagger that he revealed from his left side, slamming the barrel of his hand cannon into her ribs and blasting her away with a shot that had extra kick behind it. <em>Little Hawk.</em> The words echoed and she looked up at Eren, her eyes lighting up as her semblance took over. <em>Why did you leave me?! I wouldn't be doing this if you were still here!</em> Eren's next two attacks were blocked flawlessly, drawing a feeling of ire as he made a desperate attempt to blast her back again. She split the bullet with her arrow, nailing him in the chest as it erupted and threw him away. As he tumbled from her she grappled him in as she kicked her leg up, bringing it back down and planting him in the ground as she flipped her bow into its sword form and struck the ground next to his head.</p><p>"Yes, I do think I've beaten you," Neela spoke before he could ask her. His body trembled as he attempted to move back. She reached down and gripped the collar of his jacket before suddenly feeling light-headed.</p><p>"Is her nose bleeding?" Coco asked. Titus took off without warning.</p><p>"Ilia!" He shouted. Neela collapsed on top of Eren, leaving him clueless beneath her as he looked up at the upside-down students coming to retrieve her. "Not again, Neela!"</p><p>"Someone get Jaune and Ren!" Ilia yelled. Coco ran for the doors as Glynda stared on and shook her head with a sigh.</p><p>"It seems I was mistaken," she told herself. Titus carried Neela out as Eren picked himself up and brushed off his clothes.</p><p>"Guess we'll have to finish that later," Eren grunted, clearing his throat. He looked his hand cannon over and placed it back in the band of his pants, sheathing the dagger before cracking his neck. "She single?"</p><p>"She's not into dicks," Ilia notified him as she began leaving.</p><p>"That stings, really," he noted.</p><p>"I meant she's a lesbian," Ilia clarified leaving the building. Eren frowned and rubbed the back of his neck.</p><p>"The cute ones always are," he groaned. "Hey, Teach! Want to show me to the dorms!?"</p><p>"You will refer to me as Headmistress and that is final," she corrected. He shrugged and nodded.</p><p>"That's fair," he responded as he followed her out.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Eren seems like a great addition, right? Next week, Chapter 7: Nero.</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Nero</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eliana continues to struggle with the choice she made that caused her to leave Beacon. Meanwhile, Jett finds a place to keep Nero...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Are you allowed to talk about it at all?" Desirae asked as she stood across from Eliana wearing mitts on her hands that the girl focused her punches on. Eliana stopped for a second to look at her before beginning her onslaught once more, two quick left jabs with a right-handed uppercut that Desirae slapped to the side. "The battle at Beacon, that is. I saw the letter on your desk in the dorm room. That's awesome by the way that you would stay and fight those Faunus. That must have been terrifying. I hear that Athena was stronger than the few teachers that were there and that Raven Branwen showed up out of nowhere and finished her off! That's crazy!"</p><p>"Do you have to word it like that?" Asher questioned using the pull-up bar on the wall a few feet from them. "Not all Faunus are members of the Fang you know."</p><p>"Right!" Desirae shot back embarrassed, her face becoming flush. "Of course! I didn't mean it like that!" Eliana funneled her thoughts into her training as Desirae watched her for a long moment, hoping for an answer. "Well?"</p><p>"You went through my mail?" Eliana asked, the next few blows driving Desirae back.</p><p>"It was on your desk," Desirae defended. "I just thought that if you didn't want us seeing it, you would have put it somewhere a little safer or hidden it, you know?" She tried changing the subject. "Did you see the broadcast of your former teammates receiving their medals? That was exciting, right?" Eliana's eyes changed and the next hit was charged with a quick-moving forcefield at the end of it, throwing Desirae back several feet. She landed on her butt hard, looking up at Eliana who breathed heavily, sorrow tearing her body apart.</p><p>"You okay?" Asher asked as he dropped down.</p><p>
  <strong>YOU'RE NO HERO.</strong>
</p><p>"Yeah," Eliana managed after catching her breath. "I'm fine. Guess I'll go wash up, I think I've had enough training for today."</p><p>"Just remember, I'm here if you need to talk," Desirae insisted.</p><p>"<em>It's alright Elli," Neela told her. "Cry as much as you need to. I'm here for you." Eliana laughed through her sniffles.</em></p><p>"<em>Aren't you always?" Eliana asked. Neela nodded as she separated Eliana from her.</em></p><p>"<em>Always am, always will be," Neela reassured her. Eliana nodded and smiled.</em></p><p>"<em>And I'll always be here for you," Eliana replied.</em></p><p>"<em>Of course you will," Neela declared. "You better be."</em></p><p>"Thanks," Eliana replied with a nod before heading into the locker room where she began to undress. Of course, she'd seen it. Ilia looked out of place, the same way that she did every time that they had any kind of public event, never sure of where she should be looking or how to carry herself, even if she was just standing on stage for the entire broadcast. Titus looked statuesque and valiant, head held high and chest out as he stared into the middle distance in an uncomfortable salute, proud of the contributions he'd made. Team CBLT was there too, but as always, the presence of NITE was the highlight of the media's interest. There was always a desire for people to know who the next generation of top Huntsmen, which meant they got more screen time, even if CBLT was on the same skill level despite their ranking. And then there was Neela…</p><p>Eliana looked at the mirror in her locker, the selfie they had taken at the street fair tucked behind the corner and Eliana held her breath as she stared at it for a long moment. She wanted to go back… She wanted to go back before she tried taking Shadow before things went completely wrong. She wanted to keep the promises that she'd made to Neela, that she would never hurt her, that she would always be there for her! But she couldn't. Even if she returned to Vale, rejoined her team, and they forgave her… she wouldn't be able to forgive herself for what she put Neela through. Neela deserved better. Neela always made the right choices, she always protected Eliana, always knew what to do. She sighed as she stripped off her undergarments and placed them in the locker, closing the door to reveal Fade on the other side.</p><p>"Oum!" Eliana shouted with a gasp before catching her breath and placing a hand on her chest.</p><p>"I just finished my one on one with Professor Cherimoya and thought maybe we could keep each other company in the showers," Fade told her as she opened her own locker and started to remove her clothing. Up to this point, Fade had been fairly abrasive towards Eliana though she couldn't really figure out a reason why. Perhaps she had taken a liking to their old teammate and Eliana was just some replacement that was seen as a nuisance? Desirae had told her that the last member of their team left shortly before the end of the previous school year, citing that he just wasn't cut out for the life of a huntress and that it really pissed off Fade. Maybe it had to do with social status and Fade was afraid that people saw her team as a joke since someone left and she was taking it out on Eliana? She couldn't be sure.</p><p>"Yeah, I guess that would be fine," Eliana admitted. Fade closed the locker door, smirking as Eliana's eyes reactively took her in. Breasts that came close to rivaling her own. Her ass was nice too if Eliana was completely honest with herself. She looked back up at Fade who was watching her and she blushed.</p><p>"It's fine," Fade told her as she brushed past her to the showers. "Everyone is guilty of it, right?" Eliana swallowed and nodded.</p><p>"Yeah, of course," Eliana chuckled nervously. She stood in front of a head around the corner of the opening to the large empty room, Fade choosing the one directly beside her which made Eliana consider moving over, but it wasn't a big deal, right? She wasn't into Fade that way, so she didn't see what it mattered. The water was cold at first and Eliana jumped back covering her body from the frigid liquid, swearing that Fade broke into a snicker but she couldn't be entirely sure.</p><p>"It's absurd to think that I'd be showering at the school with another person," Fade noted as she glanced over at Eliana who was desperately trying to adjust the temperature. "With as much money as I have available I could simply pay one of my butlers or maids at home to attend the locker room while I shower and make sure that I'm alone. At home, my shower is nearly half this size, with rainforest features spanning the entire enclosure."</p><p>"For me, it's crazy to have possibly used the public shower alone," Eliana replied, finally finding a balance of heat that satisfied her. "Back at Beacon, they were always packed, though Neela never would shower with me."</p><p>"Why's that?" Fade inquired. Eliana smiled and laughed.</p><p>"I always thought that maybe she had a fear of public showers or they made her uncomfortable or something," Eliana explained. Eliana stared at the tiling on the wall. "Now I know it's because she was in love with me."</p><p>"And you left?" Fade asked. Eliana stared at the floor, letting the water wash over her. "Was it because you didn't feel the same?"</p><p>"I'm going to go now," Eliana told her, turning off the water and cutting her shower short.</p><p>
  <strong>THERE'S NO WAY NEELA STILL LOVES YOU.</strong>
</p><p>"Come back here!" Fade demanded. Eliana left quickly.</p><p>"I don't want to talk about it!" Eliana called back. She dried herself off as fast as she could and began dressing as Desirae came into the locker room.</p><p>"I thought you were showering?" Desirae asked her. Eliana finished dressing before pushing past her, doing her best not to cry.</p><p>"I'm done already," Eliana choked as she raced out into the hallway. Desirae stood staring at the door for a long moment before turning around to see Fade who was drying off.</p><p>"Did you upset her?" Desirae asked. Fade scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Why do I feel like that's a yes?"</p><p>"I asked her a simple question," Fade noted as she opened her locker.</p><p>"What was it?" Desirae pried. "Tell me? Please?!" Fade looked at Desirae for a long moment.</p><p>"I don't think it's any of our business," Fade told her. Desirae processed the words.</p><p>"You said teammates shouldn't have secrets," Desirae reminded her.</p><p>"You're right," Fade admitted. She took a deep breath. "But she's under more stress than anyone I've ever met. It was difficult to keep my psionic abilities in check after I questioned her."</p><p>"Now I really want to know!" Desirae shouted as Fade adjusted her bra in the mirror in her own locker.</p><p>"Drop it, Des," Fade barked. Desirae took a step away from her, frowning and nodding.</p><p>"Okay," Desirae sulked. "I just want to help our new friend…"</p><p>"Help her by not asking," Fade instructed as Desirae moved over a row and stripped. Fade stepped into the hallway once she was fully dressed, a trail of disruptive psychic energy led down the long corridor towards the exits, and Fade sighed. "We never had these problems with our last teammate!"</p><hr/><p>
  <em>I need to be strong. I need to do this on my own. I can't </em>
  <em>
    <strong>HURT SOMEONE AGAIN!</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>"You're being too hard on yourself," Arslan told Eliana as she sat down next to her on the bench behind the administration building. She looked out at the small botanical garden, watching as bees frantically danced about and pollinated as many flowers as they could before returning to the artificial box that had been built for them on the far side of the green. "I can tell."</p><p>"Glynda told you?" Eliana asked.</p><p>"She told me that you needed to be closer to home," Arslan said thoughtfully. "She said that anything else you felt I needed to know, you would tell me. I know the look on your face all too well. You're blaming yourself for something, although it's none of my business to pry. I felt the same once. We lost Vytal fest and I blamed myself for the entire thing. For weeks I was in a bit of a haze, at that time no part of me felt like I deserved to be the leader of Team ABRN."</p><p>"How did you overcome it?" Eliana questioned her. Arslan laughed.</p><p>"So I was right?" Arslan replied.</p><p>"Maybe I'm just curious," Eliana rebutted.</p><p>"Perhaps," Arslan noted. "I kept telling myself that it would happen again. Kept asking myself what I would do if I failed again? Would I be able to look at my teammates the same way? And then I did."</p><p>"Did what?" Eliana inquired.</p><p>"Failed them again," Arslan said with a sigh as she stared up at the clouds that drifted by. "I slipped up and made a wrong decision. We lost the local tournament and came back to the dorms, and I was devastated. When I woke up the next morning Nadir and Bolin greeted me with smiles and offered to take me to the training grounds so we could go over what went wrong. When we found Reese that evening she was in the dorm room by herself, staring in silence. I asked her what the matter was and she felt that she was to blame for the entire thing. I guess sometimes it's just a matter of perspective."</p><p>"But Neela…" Eliana began. She looked at Arslan. "They didn't do anything wrong. Just needed a change of pace, that's all." Arslan looked at her and nodded as she stood.</p><p>"Just remember, Eliana," the headmistress told her. "The longer that you run from a problem, the harder it hits when it finally catches up to you." With that Arslan left. Eliana sighed as she gritted her teeth. <em>I want Neela back but</em> <em><strong>SHE WON'T WANT ME BACK!</strong></em></p><p>"Here she is!" Desirae shouted as she raced for Eliana and nearly tackled her as she hugged her. Eliana squirmed, pushing her off.</p><p>"I know, I'm the one who was following her," Fade sighed.</p><p>"Following me?" Eliana asked them.</p><p>"Desirae was worried and I can't have another teammate running off on us like the last one," Fade noted. "It would be in poor taste and disgraceful." She folded her arms.</p><p>"I wasn't worried!" Desirae blurted out.</p><p>"She was," Asher added as he followed slowly behind them and rounded the corner.</p><p>"Okay, maybe a little, but it's fine because you're here!" Desirae sang hugging Eliana again who pushed her off once more.</p><p>"I'm not a hugger!" Eliana declared.</p><p>"I don't believe that for a moment," Desirae laughed.</p><p>"I'm going back to the room now," Asher groaned as he sulked off.</p><p>"Don't forget we have a team training match tomorrow," Fade reminded him.</p><p>"Whatever," he said waving her off. She marched after him.</p><p>"Don't 'whatever' me!" She scolded.</p><p>"It's just an expression, calm down," Asher mumbled.</p><p>"We're not going to maintain the top spot with that kind of attitude," Fade yelled in his ear. He collapsed on the spot into the grass. "That fainting thing doesn't work on me! Get up! A 'yes ma'am' would even suffice at this point! Asher!"</p><p>"Wow, she's worse than Titus…" Eliana began. She sighed. She had to move past this feeling of failure.</p><p>"<em>I can help carry your pain too if you'd like," Eliana told him. Titus wrapped his arms around her in return and pulled her in tight, lightly swinging her from side to side as he took a deep breath.</em></p><p>"<em>My teacher. One of my mentors back in Atlas tried to kill my family once. I was able to stop him with some help, but after that moment I always felt like the people around me would be safer if I didn't let them in. What would happen if I put others that I care about in danger, and I can't save them?" He confessed. She looked up at him with a smile.</em></p><p>"<em>If that happens, you won't be alone. You don't have to face these things by yourself, Titus," Eliana explained to him. "What's important is that you can make a difference, even if it is with the help of your teammates." Titus didn't know what to say to her. Eliana had somehow seen right through him. She was so naïve and innocent, and he had dropped his guard. Now she had seen him in his most vulnerable state. This wouldn't change anything, not right away, but maybe he could work on being more open towards them and letting them help him. He could help them in return as well.</em></p><p>"<em>Eliana…" He began as he let go of her. She smiled and stepped past him, gathering up his book and assignments for him and handing them over. He looked at them as he took them and then back at her.</em></p><p>"<em>You'd better get going, that test is going to be starting soon," Eliana told him. He nodded. He opened the door and stepped into the hall but was stopped as she called out. "Oh, and I won't tell Neela and Ilia." Titus smirked and nodded to her one last time before leaving the room.</em></p><p>"<em>Thank you, Eliana."</em></p><hr/><p>"This was the best place that you could think to bring him?" Paris asked Jett as she moved ahead of him through the thick forest, gripping tightly to her kukris as she tried her best not to swing around and put him out of his misery on the spot. Jett honestly had no clue what Abigor saw in Paris that was promising, sure he was there to tie up a few loose ends, and he was one of the more talented Neo-Salems, but he had no place on their council. They had plenty of agents that were working to complete Salem's goal independently, and Paris could have easily been one of those people, considering how he'd screwed up almost every encounter with Huntsmen and Huntresses that he'd partaken in up to that point. She glanced back at him, a death glare that shut him up quickly, even though he could barely make her eyes out through the mask.</p><p>"Have you ever considered shutting up just once in your lifetime?" Jett asked him in a growl. "Hurry up. We need to get there before he wakes up or we'll have to subdue him again and it was a pain in the ass the first time." Nero was slung over Paris's shoulder, they had him heavily drugged for the last several hours since Jett had captured him. The trees seemed to grow denser the further they went in, Jett forcing branches out of the way as she let Paris pass, concealing their path behind them as they attempted to squeeze through. "It looked much closer from the road, didn't it?"</p><p>"You hear something?" Paris asked. Jett listened to the stillness of the air and shook her head before pushing further in.</p><p>"I should have just come by myself or brought Mercury. I might not care for him much, but at least he doesn't worry or talk as much as you do," Jett noted.</p><p>"Hey!" He exclaimed. "I'm offended."</p><p>"Stop being offended you little shit and just stop talking," Jett pled. She stopped on the spot, feeling something was off.</p><p>"I'd prefer talking, it's way too quiet out…" He was cut off as she covered his mouth.</p><p>"Shut up," she growled looking through the foliage. She pulled back the branches once more to reveal the base of the mountain where two Beowolves loomed over them. Jett raised an arm before stopping on a dime.</p><p>"I'm going to recommend that you don't do that!" Came a voice from further up the mountain, a path weaving its way along the bluffs up towards the peak. "The amount of Grimm that would pick your body apart limb from limb would rival a force akin to the brother gods themselves." Jett knew she had to be exaggerating, though lowered her blade anyway as she had no intention of pissing the scientist off.</p><p>"Blood, we've come to talk," Jett informed her. "You owe us a favor!" Blood folded her arms and slowly made her way down the trail towards them.</p><p>"I didn't know that the Neo-Salem's had a sense of humor," Blood scoffed.</p><p>"After the two mishaps you've suffered in the last year I think it's safe to say that you can use an ally," Jett noted, pushing past the Grimm.</p><p>"Mishaps, hm?" Blood inquired. "I suppose the Camazotz did get away from me, traveled a little further north than he was supposed to. The second was not a mistake."</p><p>"You intended to be caught?" Paris asked. Blood looked past Jett at the boy.</p><p>"No," Blood dryly responded as she snapped her fingers and the Beowolves left. "The device worked as planned and we knew that the Grimm would draw attention, but we were under the impression that the police would have cleared out sooner and I needed my device back."</p><p>"Don't speak," Jett scolded him.</p><p>"Leave now before I lose my patience," Blood instructed as she spread her fingers and examined her nails. "I have no use for your protection. My grandfather was abandoned by Salem once as I was, and I have no intention of returning."</p><p>"If they find you soon, your work won't be completed," Jett explained taking a step towards Blood. A baby Ravager landed on Blood's shoulder and screeched at Jett. "You won't have the time you need to finish Merlot's work! I've been following closely and I know the council is a few days from investigating your case! Once Oobleck is finished with the Camazotz I doubt it will take him much time to track it back here." Blood pondered it for a long moment before rubbing her face.</p><p>"It seems this partnership can't be avoided then," Blood exhaled. "How annoying."</p><p>"We want something in return," Jett stopped her. Blood's face lit up with heat and she shook slightly.</p><p>"What? What now? You all ruined my plans the first time, why should I do anything in return!" Blood shouted. She smiled maniacally before calming herself down. "As long as you promise to buy me time… I'd be happy to help on one condition."</p><p>"Which is?" Jett questioned.</p><p>"That you keep Strakh away from here," Blood spat. The bat Grimm on her arm looked at her with its head cocked to the side before looking at Jett once more.</p><p>"It would be my pleasure," Jett insisted. Blood offered a genuine smile and waved for them to follow as she headed up the trail.</p><p>"Come along then," she ushered them. The mountain and scenery were almost more pristine than nature could have mustered up itself naturally, there was no symmetry to speak of. If this place had been created artificially by Blood, it was impossible to tell. Jett paid the serenity of it no mind as she led them in silence, occasionally stopping to admire one of the Grimm that had nested before continuing along. Paris began to wonder if they'd climb all the way to the summit.</p><p>"Are there any Grimm that aren't contained within your collection?" Jett questioned, bringing a smile to Blood's lips.</p><p>"There is only one, and while I'm sad to say it was the only one of its kind, I was able to get a sample of DNA before Team RWBY destroyed the poor thing," Blood informed them.</p><p>"How much further?" Paris whined.</p><p>"How uncanny," Blood replied, stopping. She pushed past Jett and looked Paris over. "Perhaps Abigor sees some hidden potential within you. Is this correct, Jett?"</p><p>"Do I have to answer that?" Jett asked. "Let's keep going…"</p><p>"I'm intrigued," Blood stayed pacing around him. An Ursa growled from the tree line, staring intently at Paris. Blood chuckled as she grunted at the beast and it scampered off. "And he's so afraid."</p><p>"Why shouldn't I be?" Paris asked, barely managing to get the words out.</p><p>"If you do not fear them, they will not view you as a meal," Blood informed him. She sighed and continued up the path once more. "And to answer your question, we are here." Blood swiped her keycard in front of her and the base before them uncloaked itself.</p><p>"There's a Grimm that can do that," Jett noted in awe.</p><p>"I feel that we are doing ourselves a disservice if we do not learn from these creatures," Blood explained as the doors slid open and she bade them to follow. The facility appeared as anyone would have expected, tons of lab coats stared at them as they entered before a supervising scientist yelled at them to get back to work, sending them scattering throughout the first room.</p><p>"Silvia," Fenris addressed her as he approached from behind them. Had he followed them all the way up the hill and Jett hadn't noticed? "We have a situation."</p><p>"Can it wait?" She gritted her teeth at him before smiling back at her guests. "I'll be back in just a moment."</p><p>"Sure," Jett replied as she walked to a glass wall that doubled as containment units. Various baby Grimm filled the containers and Jett wondered why Abigor was hesitant to try and insist that Blood join them once more. The relationship between her and the Neo-Salem's had been close until the incident, and it had been nearly 10 years, hadn't it? But she knew better than to go against Abigor's wishes. She could only admire the creatures and wonder what other wonderful creations Blood had developed.</p><p>"Do I know her?" Paris asked Jett as she turned back around to face him. Paris shifted his weight to readjust Nero's body slung over his shoulder. "I feel like I've met Blood before somewhere."</p><p>"I wouldn't know if you had," Jett replied. Blood returned to them with a look of anxiety painted on her face and she tried to remember to breathe. She shook her head, talking to herself as she attempted to avoid freaking out. She smiled at them.</p><p>"Where are my manners today, would you like a tour of the rest of the facility?" Blood asked them as she placed her hands behind her back. "I assure you, it's quite an awe-inspiring experience."</p><p>"If we had the time I would gladly agree but Paris and I need to report back to Abigor as soon as possible. Do we have an understanding then?" Jett asked. Blood nodded, motioning towards Paris with her head. Fenris stepped past his sister and took Nero.</p><p>"How do you plan on throwing the council off of our scent?" Blood questioned, her brother pausing for a moment.</p><p>"If I tell the Stardust Gang where you are, that's exactly where Coco and her precious new pet will think you are," Jett laughed. "And it just so happens I know when they'll be listening in next."</p><p>"Where do you want him?" Fenris asked her.</p><p>"I think a night in a pit of Baby Deathstalkers might make him a little more willing to talk, wouldn't you agree?" Blood inquired with a smirk.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Will Nero make it out alive? Next week, Chapter 8: Council!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Council</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ilia takes Neela out for some fun, but does anything ever go to plan for NITE?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Coco!" Ruby yelled as the woman passed through the security gate and gave the guards a wink as she strutted by. "You're late! You've known about this meeting for the last month, how could you be late?!"</p><p>"I had a hard time picking out a pair of shades this morning that matched this outfit," Coco informed her with a smirk as she walked through the council room, nodding to Stratford on the way to her seat. Ruby chuckled nervously before using her semblance to fly across the room to her own spot.</p><p>"It's the same outfit that you wear every time I see you!" Ruby exclaimed.</p><p>"How dare you!" Coco gasped.</p><p>"Can we get to business?" Siobhan asked. "And where is Qrow, anyways?"</p><p>"He had a previous engagement that he needed to attend to," Winter stated. Ruby sighed. <em>If only they knew he was just babysitting Rosy.</em></p><p>"We have quite a few things that we need to address, so maybe we should just get right into it," Ruby suggested. "I'm guessing we can probably skim over the fact that Athena attacked Beacon since we already had an emergency meeting about that and the kids have already received their medals."</p><p>"Actually, I wanted to ask Coco about that," Stratford stated as he stood.</p><p>"Oh boy," Ruby mumbled.</p><p>"What happened was an extreme that we never could have predicted, but was also an egregious mistake on the part of myself and Glynda not to have more teachers present at the event," Coco agreed. "I've begun establishing a security force at the school for after hours, and we're installing a new security system that's a little more… 'Cobalt' proof."</p><p>"Though to her credit in reference to the previous systems that were in place, Cobalt scored higher in technology classes than any of his peers," Ruby defended.</p><p>"We just need to make sure that this doesn't happen again," Stratford noted. "The last thing we want is a repeat of what Team RWBY had to deal with all those years ago, not to mention, widespread panic if it starts to appear that way."</p><p>"The White Fang is completely dismantled this time," Winter interjected. "And the Neo-Salems seem to be moving slowly for the time being."</p><p>"What happens when they begin becoming more aggressive?" Siobhan inquired. "We need to find them and stop them now and that starts with either the Stardust Gang or Strakh."</p><p>"With the school year underway I don't have as much time to devote to tracking them down, but I do have someone on the job," Coco explained.</p><p>"Emerald Sustrai," Ruby announced.</p><p>"She used to work for Salem!" Dorian exclaimed.</p><p>"She also helped us take Salem down!" Ruby shouted.</p><p>"How do we know she's not running a long con?" Stratford questioned with a sigh, sitting back down.</p><p>"We have no reason to believe so," Coco said, trying not to lose her cool. "As well as learning that the Stardust Gang is going to attack the Technology and Dust Expo this Winter, we've learned where they plan on meeting Jett next."</p><p>"The Expo!?" A few of them yelled.</p><p>"We have to reschedule," Olesia stated.</p><p>"I refuse," Coco replied.</p><p>"It is not for you to decide," Siobhan fired back.</p><p>"This is a matter of national safety, we couldn't care less about your ego," Stratford scoffed. Coco leapt to her feet.</p><p>"We cannot let the Neo-Salem's push us around!" Coco asserted. "I have plans for the entire police force and school staff to attend this expo, rest assured, nothing will happen. If we cannot depend on the Huntsmen we have to take care of things then we are in worse trouble than ever before."</p><p>"I still think that it is in our best interest to change the date," Dorian said. "Of course we trust our resources, but that doesn't mean we don't prepare for the worst."</p><p>"I'll attend," Ruby stated. They all stopped bickering and looked at her. "If Coco thinks it's for the best, I will personally attend." Coco stared at Ruby for a long moment before sitting back down in her chair and exhaling. "Does that work for the rest of you?" Stratford looked at Siobhan and the two of them nodded.</p><p>"Yes," Stratford agreed. Vacuo and Atlas also agreed.</p><p>"Good," Ruby sighed. "Is there anything else you need to address with this council?" Coco nodded.</p><p>"Two things, actually," Coco informed them. "The first is that over the summer my students discovered an Android in the woods out of town that was collecting massive amounts of Dust, stating that his technology 'belonged to Atlas, though he did not answer to Atlas.'" Winter's eyes went wide as she thought it over, her chest heaving.</p><p>"Do you know something?" Ruby asked.</p><p>"Years ago we had created a blueprint for a unit that would do just that, collect Dust from the mines in Atlas, which would reduce labor costs and danger to our employees," Winter told them. "But it went missing. The only thing that I can think of is that Admon is the one responsible. He's the only officer who's defected 'recently' that would do something like this. We never had the chance to prototype or test the unit because the AI was still young yet, a modified version of Penny's that hadn't had the combat system removed from it yet."</p><p>"It attacked my students," Coco noted. "Called itself DAMU."</p><p>"That has to be it," Winter said rubbing her temples.</p><p>"Do we know where Admon is?" Stratford inquired.</p><p>"We lost track of him last year in the midst of fighting the Fang and looking for the Neo-Salems," Winter stated. "I will take care of this, you have my word."</p><p>"And the last item?" Ruby questioned.</p><p>"A woman by the name of Silvia Blood was caught testing equipment illegally in Vale, stating that she was with the Vacuo council," Coco remarked. She looked to Olesia. "Is that true?" Winter and Ruby exchanged a glance.</p><p>"No," Olesia stated bewildered. "I have no idea who that is."</p><p>"We should probably keep an eye out for her and bring her in for some questioning if we find her," Coco noted. "Someone else can have the floor now."</p><p>"Does Vacuo have anything to bring to this meeting?" Ruby asked.</p><p>"I've been working with the Atlas Military in our pursuit of Strakh," Olesia explained. "We had an incident two days ago."</p><p>"What kind of incident?" Siobhan questioned.</p><p>"One of Strakh's hideouts was burned to the ground," Dorian began. "It was discovered by Kitsune Aka and Nero Creel, neither of which could be here today. They managed to cripple the man even further, shooting him in his good leg, but in the incident, Nero was kidnapped and Kitsune was knocked unconscious. The driver that we had supplied to Kitsune found her in the building shortly after it was rocked by an explosion. She had pretty severe burns but the doctors in Vacuo assure us that her Aura will be able to heal them, considering the nature of her semblance."</p><p>"One of your men was captured?" Stratford asked.</p><p>"Yes," Winter sighed. "Rest assured, the military presence is excessive as of this moment in Shade looking for both Strakh and Nero."</p><p>"He's not liable to give up any intel that we have on them, is he?" Coco inquired. Winter chuckled, though the stress she was feeling was evident.</p><p>"Well, they don't have Kitsune, so I'd say that we're safe," Winter assured them.</p><p>"She would give up information more easily than he would?" Siobhan assumed.</p><p>"Not exactly," Winter replied.</p><p>"Mistral?" Ruby finished. Stratford stood.</p><p>"We haven't had anything noteworthy as of late, and we are more than willing to help with any of the other kingdom's problems," Stratford offered. "I would like to extend thanks to Winter for letting us occupy Argus in their stead so that their forces can be used elsewhere. My men are more than willing to defend Atlas's easternmost base until your military force can return."</p><p>"You have in writing that the base still belongs to you, right?" Ruby asked Winter. Stratford chuckled.</p><p>"Ruby," He said. "I don't want Atlas to leave Mistral. Their relationship with us is more important to my kingdom now than it has ever been. I even offered to allow them to expand the borders of Argus recently. Isn't that right, Winter?" Winter nodded.</p><p>"We've been wanting more space for a larger armory for years and Stratford and I signed the papers a few weeks ago," Winter noted. Stratford tsked and wagged his finger at Ruby.</p><p>"But in all seriousness, if I can help with anything, let me know," Stratford informed them. Ruby smiled and nodded.</p><p>"Of course!" She exclaimed. "That should do it then! I trust you all enough to get things taken care of without giving specifics, so let's keep Remnant safe!" They all began to file out of the room, Dorian complaining to Olesia who walked away from him to join Stratford, lagging behind to walk with Siobhan as the two of them argued with each other over how their kingdom heads shouldn't be dating each other. Winter, Ruby, and Coco remained behind as the doors loudly slammed shut and echoed through the subterranean great hall.</p><p>"Blood?" Ruby repeated. She ran her hand through her hair.</p><p>"That can't be," Winter noted. "Unless someone is using her identity."</p><p>"Who is Silvia Blood?" Coco questioned.</p><p>"2 years before you returned to Beacon the council was having problems with her," Ruby explained. "Merlot's granddaughter. But her project went awry and she died in an explosion."</p><p>"Why would anyone want to use her name?" Coco asked.</p><p>"If it's a Neo-Salem follower they probably just want to stir up some fear," Winter offered. "I say we ignore it for now. We'd be seeing far more Grimm if that was the case, but their numbers are currently at an all-time low."</p><p>"Keep an eye out," Ruby added as Coco began leaving. Ruby sighed. "So we lost track of Strakh again, huh?"</p><p>"Seems that way," Winter noted as she collected her papers.</p><p>"What happened?" Ruby pried.</p><p>"Kitsune told me that they ran into Jett while they were there who knew that she was on the council," Winter stated.</p><p>"How would she have known that?" Ruby pondered.</p><p>"It's not exactly a secret that she's a member of the council," Winter reminded Ruby. "It's not like it was shortly before you joined where we did everything behind the scenes. Now we have to be out in the public, reassuring them that we're doing what's best for them."</p><p>"Did she say anything else," Ruby asked.</p><p>"She said Jett had the ability to borrow semblances," Winter added.</p><p>"Amazing!" Ruby exclaimed. She calmed down. "I mean, it's awful what happened, but what a semblance." Ruby opened the door for her. "Where will you start looking for Nero?"</p><p>"If we turn Shade upside down and still can't find him, I'm not sure," Winter stated staring down the hall. "Perhaps Emerald can try and find that out for us as well?"</p><p>"I'll see what Coco can have her do," Ruby assured the woman. <em>Blood has to be dead, right? The Camazotz could have easily been an undiscovered species, there were parts of Remnant outside of Salem's realm that are uninhabitable by man, perhaps it came from there. No, I'm certain she's dead.</em></p><hr/><p>"Neela," came a voice that Neela could hear from her sleep but she couldn't quite put a face to. She inhaled slowly, her body rejecting the idea of waking up so soon, knowing that something was off. It was far too early to be waking up, her biological clock was aware of that much for her, and she pushed the calling of her name aside and tried to drift back towards the last dream she was having. It was one of the nicest she'd had since the accident, she was at home with Shadow and the two of them were playing in the treehouse. Shadow was the hero, of course. Even in Neela's dreams, the girl was too cute for words. She'd nearly returned to her deep sleep before the voice called to her again. "Neela."</p><p>"What?" She groaned as she forced her eyes open, needing little time to adjust to the darkness of the room to find that Ilia was on top of her, and she couldn't find a reason why in her head. She panicked, her breathing growing erratic as she blushed. "Ilia? What… What's going on?"</p><p>"Come on, we're wasting precious time," Ilia told her. Ilia climbed off of her, leaping to her feet and checking to make sure that Titus was still asleep. She glanced at the other bed, Eren had more or less been AWOL since Glynda had introduced him to the team, and Ilia wondered where he'd gone. They never actually saw him outside of class, and during class, he wasn't the most social. Ilia watched as Neela threw the covers off and tossed her legs over the side of the bed, her baggy sweats riding up on one leg, and her tank top disheveled enough that Ilia could tell she was sleeping without a bra on.</p><p>"Can you at least tell me what we're doing?" Neela asked her as she rubbed her eyes.</p><p>"It's a surprise," Ilia assured her with a wink. "Grab Predator's Edge and…" Ilia stopped and looked at Neela who looked away. "Grab your bow and arrows and I'll meet you outside of the dorm." Neela nodded slowly as she stood.</p><p>"Right," Neela replied. Ilia headed out into the hallway first, taking the stairs down to the lower floor of the second-year dorm rooms. They were slightly larger than the first-year dorms, and the space was appropriated differently this time. The recreational room was easily a fourth, if not a fifth, of the size of the First-Years. The extra space was made up for with a small weight room and laundry room, and there was a set of stairs that led further down to a swimming pool. Ilia could only imagine what the next two dorms were like, this seemed excessive as it was. She sighed. Why had she called Neela's weapon by name, she knew that Eliana had come up with that name. If only there was some way to do it all over… wishful thinking, but Ilia felt like she'd give up almost as much as Neela would to have their teammate back.</p><p>Eliana was a kind of glue that had brought them all together with a nativity and optimism that no one would ever be able to replace. If it wasn't for Eliana, Titus never would have come out of his shell, and in turn, Ilia would have run away again. She owed Eliana. She wanted to go to Mistral and demand that Eliana return, but she had the feeling it wouldn't make a difference. She stepped out of the dorm, closing the door quietly behind her, and turned back around to find Emerald standing a few feet away.</p><p>"Where are you heading out this early?" Emerald asked.</p><p>"Please, Ms. Sustrai," Ilia pleaded. "Neela needs this. I don't know if they told you what happened but she's having a rough time. We're just heading out into the Emerald Forest for a few hours." Emerald smiled and nodded.</p><p>"Just be careful out there, okay?" Emerald instructed her. Ilia smiled back.</p><p>"Of course," Ilia insisted. Neela opened the door a few minutes later, dressed in her usual outfit, bow and quiver slung over her shoulder as she yawned.</p><p>"We heading to the practice range?" Neela asked her.</p><p>"I had a better idea," Ilia said as she began moving towards the forest. "We have to clear your head so we can keep you on top." Neela followed her, anxious and sorrowful as they left the school grounds.</p><p>"You don't have to worry about me," Neela told her. "I'll get back on my game, I just need time."</p><p>"I want to see you in action!" Ilia exclaimed grinning at the Faunus. "The great Neela the Archer in her element!"</p><p>"Ilia…" Neela began.</p><p>"So we'll go back to the basics so you're ready in time for the Vytal Festival!" Ilia announced.</p><p>"Stop it!" Neela shouted at her. Ilia halted in her tracks, staring at the ground and refusing to look back at Neela. "I see what you're trying to do, but just stop!" Neela breathed heavily as her chest heaved. "Everybody keeps treating me like I need help. Like I need to forget. Like I'm not strong enough! I'm sick of it, okay?! That's why I started sleeping in the dorm again, I couldn't stand Blake and Yang asking me what was wrong all the time!"</p><p>"Then start acting like it!" Ilia screamed at her turning around. Neela was shocked to find tears streaming down Ilai's face. She was crying… "I had a family once! My mother loved me more than she loved herself and my dad was at the very least supportive until she died! I just want that again! But to have Eliana leave like that and to have to watch you act like everything's okay whenever someone calls you out on it?! You're the one who needs to stop it!"</p><p>"I…" Neela started.</p><p>"Just accept that you're not okay! It's the first step to fixing all of this! I don't want to lose you too!" Ilia exclaimed. "You three are the closest friends I've ever had, and I hate seeing you like this. Titus does too, though he'll never say it out loud. Let me do this one thing for you. Forget about Eliana for a while, everything will sort itself out with enough time, but you can't wait for that to happen! You need to keep moving forward!"</p><p>"I'm sorry," Neela apologized. Ilia closed the gap between them and hugged Neela, holding her tight for longer than Neela would have expected.</p><p>"Please try," Ilia begged. "Just for a little while…" Neela's mind melted. She was caught in a loop. Every time that she tried to fix it, to make it better, to forget… it just came back.</p><p>"I'll do my best," Neela told her as they released each other. Was there any fixing this? Would it get better? Could she forget?</p><p>"Clear your mind," Ilia told her. "Just like when you're tracking a Grimm. Just find something to focus on and use that to anchor yourself." Neela nodded. It was worth a shot, but the only thing that she wanted to focus on was Eliana. "What if I got rid of the memories? Would that help?"</p><p>"What do you mean?" Neela asked her confused.</p><p>"I've heard that Yatsu can erase memories," Ilia explained. "If I found a way to enter your psyche and remove them…"</p><p>"No!" Neela asserted. Ilia looked her in the eyes. Neela was hurting still.</p><p>"I'm sorry, you're right, that's awful," Ilia admitted. "I just want to help put you at ease and it was the first thing that came to mind." Ilia looked out further into the woods before turning back towards the dorms. "Maybe we should head back, we've lost quite a bit of time as it is, and I'm sure that you're upset with me."</p><p>"I'm not upset with you," Neela told her. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, it's just going to take me some…" Neela stopped as her ears picked up on something. Her eyes narrowed, rushing Ilia and shoving her to the side as Neela grappled up to the trees and peered down trying to spot the Grimm. She had the urge to use her Semblance to find it quickly, but she knew the results might be catastrophic. As often as she was passing out, her aura was working overtime, meaning that its capacity was dwindling every day. If she gave it a period to cool down it would return to normal, according to Ren and Jaune, but until then she'd have to deal with having less. Ren also told her that too many more episodes could possibly result in her aura breaking for good, or something worse.</p><p>"Do you see something?" Ilia asked.</p><p>"Not yet, but I heard something," Neela informed her. Ilia nodded and watched her in awe. It was like instinct to Neela, maybe this was the best idea she could have had. Neela scanned the area, noting a few prints and broken limbs and she leapt down, staying close to Ilia as she moved forward. The downed brush provided them with enough cover that Neela was confident she'd be able to get a jump on them, Ilia following closely, trying to steady her breathing. "What is it?"</p><p>"A pack of Beowulves," Ilia admitted. "Vin said his team spotted them yesterday as they were leaving the forest." Neela nodded. She wondered what had set them off, usually, Beowulves were smart enough that they didn't leave a trail of destruction in their wake unless they were chasing after something that was afraid of them.</p><p>"I think someone might be out here," Neela explained moving more quickly.</p><p>"What?" Ilia asked. "Trespassing?"</p><p>"If they were, they're definitely heading the other direction now," Neela explained. She moved more quickly, noting more signs of movement by the pack and picking up on a faint scent. Neela felt a warmth. She was hunting again, this was exactly what she needed! She grappled quickly through a mess of downed trees, stopping on the edge of the dense woods that led into a clearing that was a mostly dried up river bed. Since fall had begun it hadn't rained much, and Vale wondered if it was in for a dry winter that year. Neela's train of thought was cut off as a Beowulf crashed through the trees on the other side of the river, rolling down the bank before stopping at the bottom, its breathing ragged.</p><p>"That guy must have crazy strength," Ilia called out. Neela nodded in agreement. It took a considerable amount of force to throw a Grimm that far, and judging by the lack of bullet fire or Dust, it had been raw strength or the work of a Semblance. The spot that the Beowulf had exited from was obliterated, wood splintering everywhere as two Manticore crashed through and focused on the Beo.</p><p>"What?!" Neela gasped. "Are you seeing this?"</p><p>"I don't even know what those are!" Ilia spoke in a hushed tone as Neela jumped down to her.</p><p>"Manticores!" Neela informed her. "They're only found in northern Mistral, why the hell would they be here in Vale?"</p><p>"What do you know about them?" Ilia asked as she absorbed herself into Neela's body.</p><p>"Can shoot fireballs, scorpion tails, damn near impossible to attack from the front," Neela offered. "Mom says that she grabbed one by the horns once, corkscrewed it, and then nailed it in the jaw."</p><p>
  <em>I'm gonna guess that was Yang.</em>
</p><p>"Obviously," Neela replied as they finished their kill on the Beowulf. "And they're a bit territorial."</p><p>
  <em>Do we go back and tell the teachers what's going on?</em>
</p><p>"We'll never know if we can take it if we don't try," Neela suggested.</p><p>
  <em>That's the spirit! Just… don't overdo it…</em>
</p><p>"I won't," Neela informed her. She knocked an ice arrow and lined up the shot. "Things are going to happen quickly."</p><p>"I'm ready," Ilia admitted. Neela released the arrow, firing her grapple across the river and holding it tight to let Ilia slide down it like a zip line, the arrow erupting and freezing the back legs of one of the beasts. The Manticore roared to its partner before scanning the sky and noting the women, Ilia coming down to plunge her blades deep into the back of the one that was frozen. The ice proved ineffective as it easily broke free and used its head to throw Ilia into the woods.</p><p>"Ilia!" Neela shouted without thinking. The second Manticore was already moving, taking the tree out from under her as she retracted her grapple and swung over the river to the opposite side. The Grimm slid to a stop, noting that its prey had moved, roaring at her again. Neela moved gracefully through the trees, leaping across branches and boughs towards where she'd last seen Ilia.</p><p>
  <em>I'm alright.</em>
</p><p>Neela slid to a stop, nearly falling out of the last tree.</p><p>"How are you back in me?" Neela asked.</p><p>
  <em>Oh right, I haven't shown you this yet. I set a link earlier while I was tagging along inside you. It works once, twice if I overdo it. Handy in a pinch.</em>
</p><p>"Good to know," Neela replied as a fireball shattered her tree apart and sent her sprawling. Her grapple missed and she hit the ground hard enough that Ilia leapt out beforehand to avoid damage to her own aura. Ilia landed on her feet, opening fire on the Grimm but watching nervously as the bullets ricochet off of their manes.</p><p>"You have a plan?" Ilia questioned.</p><p>"My ice arrows won't cut it to stop them," Neela admitted. "I've got the upper hand in mobility until we get close, I'm not sure we can pack enough punch."</p><p>"What are we doing then?" Ilia inquired. She rolled out of the way of one as it leapt in to tackle her, blasting herself backward with fire Dust bullets. Neela fired two explosive arrows into trees on both sides of them.</p><p>"Keep them here for a moment!" Neela requested as she grappled into the foliage once again.</p><p>"Easier said than done!" Ilia confessed. The beast charged up for another fireball attack as the other charged in, swiping with its stinger and tossing Ilia again a second time as she was unable to dodge both. Neela struck a few earth Dust arrow tips into the tops of the two trees. "Are we ready?"</p><p>"Just need to bring them back this way!" Neela declared. She leapt down into her trap and offered herself as bait, firing a few lightning arrows at them that drew their attention and annoyed them.</p><p>"Hey!" Yelled another voice from deeper in the woods at the Grimm. Eren stepped out from the dense shrubbery and smirked, his gun in hand as he twirled it around his finger.</p><p>"No!" Neela shouted.</p><p>"You've been tracking me all morning, right?" Eren asked with a smirk. "I'm right here jackasses, and I bet I taste great."</p><p>"Neela has a trap set for them, shut up!" Ilia demanded as she ran to Neela's side.</p><p>"That so?" Eren asked. He sighed. "Man, that would have been really cool to see, but since I'm the one who decided to hunt Grimm this morning, something tells me they're more interested in me." Eren stared the monster's in the eyes. "They can tell I killed the other two." He laughed. <em>Two other Manticores?</em></p><p>"This will be safer!" Neela shouted. Eren gritted his teeth and glared past the Grimm at her.</p><p>"Yeah, but less fun," He explained aiming his gun. "Come on then!" His veins bulged as he shouted at the Manticores and they roared, coming in for an attack. They both attacked at the same time, his gun seeming to charge up before firing off a massive kinetic round, breaking the one on the left's right horn clean off. He caught the other Grimm's stinger on his scale armor covering his arm, holding it there as the monster attempted to overpower him. He batted the stinger away, tossing the gun into the air as he caught the horn and swung up, running it through the left's jaw, killing it instantly. He backflipped away from the second as its tail swung back around, catching his gun as he landed back on his feet. He holstered it as the beast roared at him, charging up another fireball, this one much larger than the last few. Eren chuckled, holding the broken end of the horn in his left hand and aiming the point at the Manticore, his palm flat.</p><p>The horn flew from his hand with amazing speed, crashing through the Grimm's bone mask and sticking out of its forehead. It shook its head, even more pissed off before the bone exploded and the Grimm was torn apart. Ilia and Neela stared for a few seconds before he turned around and bowed.</p><p>"Well… come on then. Don't everyone applaud at once," Eren jested as he approached them. "Are you impressed now? Do I have your approval?"</p><p>"It's not about impressing me," Neela scolded. Ilia looked at her. She seemed a bit more stable than when they'd first met and she was sure it would stay that way… unless he called her Little Hawk again.</p><p>"Then what do I need to do, huh?" He asked. "Clearly you're unimpressed."</p><p>"It doesn't matter if I approve of you," she said. "What matters is that you commit yourself to becoming a member of this team and bettering those around you." He chuckled before breaking into a full-blown laugh.</p><p>"You see, this is why I didn't want to come to this stupid ass academy," Eren said brushing past them. "You're the top dog around here. Once I have your acknowledgment I'll be satisfied, but I ain't about all that team bullshit."</p><p>"Then I guess you won't find what you're looking for," Neela told him. He waved her off and stomped away.</p><p>"What's with him?" Ilia asked.</p><p>"Who knows," Neela replied. She sighed and looked at the wreckage around them. She had to admit that she was impressed at his skill, but why did he want her to admit it to him so badly? "Well, now what?" Ilia chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck.</p><p>"Funny you should mention it, but after I fight a new Grimm I normally get a tattoo of it on my body," Ilia explained. Neela's eyes grew wide.</p><p>"Really!? That's why you have so many? So you've fought a Sea Feilong?!" Neela blurted out. Ilia laughed.</p><p>"Probably one of my toughest fights ever, but yeah," Ilia told her. "Wanna go with me to get the new ink?"</p><p>"Sure!" Neela exclaimed. "If you don't mind."</p><p>"I don't mind," Ilia laughed. Neela smiled. <em>There it is. </em><em>Hold on to that, Neela</em><em>.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hopefully, Ilia can help Neela turn things around. Next week, Chapter 9: Reference!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Reference</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We check in on Neela and Eliana... Oh, and Cobalt shenanigans...?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry about the lack of uploads, I haven't had access to my computer in a few weeks. Let's upload a few chapters today, shall we?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Neela sat down as Ilia made small talk with Tori Redgrave, the tattoo artist at Blackwell Ink, showing her a picture of the Manticore as they both kind of geeked out about it and the artist inquired about Ilia's vision for the ink. They tossed around ideas and details and finally settled on one before Ilia took her shirt off and laid on her chest on the chair, looking at Neela who looked out of place and nervous. Ilia chuckled.</p><p>"First time in a parlor?" Ilia asked her. Neela nodded as she admired the mosaic across Ilia's back, never realizing before that the girl had so many tattoos of Grimm and that each one was one that she'd personally defeated. There was another that seemed higher up on Ilia's neck, just below where her hairline started, but it was hard to make out since her ponytail normally covered it. "Think you'll be getting anything today? I can make some suggestions if you'd like. Not saying you have to, but it's a great way to express yourself. Every single one on my body has a story."</p><p>"I'll think about it," Neela told her. A large Beowolf on her shoulder blade. A Deathstalker in the middle of her lower back. The sleeve tattoo of the Wyvern that curled down her arm. Song lyrics on her left forearm. A King Taiju, that Ilia had only now just pointed out that was eating itself, around her ankle. The Manticore would be to the right of the Deathstalker, which Neela agreed with. "I'm not even sure what I would get."</p><p>"We could do anything, really! Moments that are important to you are easy ones to come up with, like a few of mine!" Ilia blurted out. "I mean, she can. She's the best in town." The artist chuckled and sanitized the area. Neela's scroll went off and she checked it quickly, Ilia looking up at her and scolding her. "Hey, no scrolls during girls' night!" Neela laughed as she replied and put it back away.</p><p>"It was Yang, I had to reply to her," Neela explained. "What's this one in the middle of your back?"</p><p>"Which one?" Ilia asked, shifting to try and look back which only irritated the artist. It was Ilia's name in a gothic style text with dates beneath it, a Griffon on both the left and right side.</p><p>"It's your name, but the dates would suggest your commemorating someone," Neela pointed out.</p><p>"Oh," Ilia said, her excitement fading quickly. "That's for my mother."</p><p>"Her name was Ilia too?" Neela asked.</p><p>"Yeah," Ilia sighed. She took a deep breath. "It was the least I could do for her."</p><p>"Do you have one for your dad too?" Neela asked, examining again.</p><p>"Didn't care much for my old man," Ilia noted. She smiled. "How about a sleeve tattoo with the original White Fang flag? That would look awesome!" Neela waved her off and smirked.</p><p>"Nah," Neela denied her. "Though I do think I have an idea for one now…"</p><p>"I'm buying her a tattoo!" Ilia exclaimed as the artist shoved her back down.</p><p>"Stop moving!" The woman yelled.</p><p>"It's still a maybe," Neela laughed.</p><p>"You're totally going to do it," Ilia goaded her.</p><hr/><p>"I'm home!" Neela declared. She tossed her bag across the living room and it landed on the couch, opening and spilling its contents all over the living room floor as several Shadows raced in from the hallway and attacked Neela with a barrage of hugs. "How's it going, Shadow?"</p><p>"Good!" Shadow mumbled with her mouth full of cookies. She swallowed and gasped before speaking again. "You look happy!" Neela winced slightly as she lifted the real Shadow up and the decoys faded.</p><p>"I feel happy today," Neela told her. Shadow giggled.</p><p>"Good!" Shadow scrambled away. "You staying for dinner, sissy?"</p><p>"Yeah," Neela agreed with a nod. Shadow disappeared into the kitchen.</p><p>"Sissy is staying for dinner!" She declared.</p><p>"Is Neela here?" Yang asked her daughter.</p><p>"Yep!" Shadow shouted as she bounced about.</p><p>"Okay. Go get washed up for dinner," Yang told her. "And no more cookies." Shadow pouted and folded her arms.</p><p>"One more cookie," Shadow bargained. Yang sighed.</p><p>"Okay, one more, but then, no more," she instructed her daughter. Shadow quickly snatched one from the plate near the stove and took off down the hallway.</p><p>"Hey, mom," Neela greeted Yang as she entered the living room and they hugged. Neela exhaled in her warm embrace, pulling back as Yang looked her over.</p><p>"Did you have a good time with Ilia tonight?" Yang asked. Neela nodded and smiled.</p><p>"Yeah," Neela admitted. "It was nice to get away from it all for a day."</p><p>"I'm glad to hear it," Yang noted, still eying her up. "Get anything done?"</p><p>"Would you be disappointed if I did?" Neela inquired.</p><p>"Of course not!" Yang clarified. "I was just curious. I thought about getting one myself for the longest time, but I still haven't narrowed down what it would be."</p><p>"You want to see it then?" Neela asked as she grabbed her sleeve to pull it back.</p><p>"Yes!" Yang exclaimed. Neela pulled up her left sleeve to reveal a tattoo on her forearm. In cursive was the date that she'd been rescued by Yang and Blake in black with a yellow outline. Yang's emblem was found at the beginning of the numerals and Blake's finished them.</p><p>"What do you think?" Neela asked. Yang smiled and held back tears.</p><p>"I think I might cry," Yang admitted.</p><p>"I wanted to do something that meant a lot to me, and this… this means the most to me," Neela said with tears in her own eyes.</p><p>"Now I am gonna cry!" Yang blurted out as she hugged her daughter again.</p><p>"You gonna tell Blake?" Neela questioned.</p><p>"Hell yeah, I'm going to tell Blake!" Yang declared. "Just let me get a good picture of it." Neela smiled at her mother and Yang felt a wave of relief wash over her. For the first time since Athena attacked, Neela seemed genuinely happy.</p><hr/><p>Eliana opened her eyes slowly to find Neela was lying next to her, breathing slowly and smiling as she noted that her friend had woken up.</p><p>"Neela, what are you doing here?" Eliana asked in a groggy state, still in disbelief as she rubbed her eyes to try and focus on the girl.</p><p>"Your mom told me that you didn't want to see me anymore," Neela explained as Eliana's chest tightened.</p><p>"That wasn't exactly what I said," Eliana confessed as she managed to sit up, Neela following suit.</p><p>"But is it what you meant?" Neela asked her with sorrowful eyes that begged Eliana to tell her otherwise.</p><p>"Of course not," Eliana explained. "I just… I didn't think that you'd want to see me anymore." Neela swallowed hard and stared off into the corner of the small bedroom.</p><p>"Why wouldn't I want to see you anymore?" Neela asked.</p><p>"Because I hurt you!" Eliana blurted out.</p><p>"I told you before Eliana, there's nothing that can separate us," Neela said as she brushed Eliana's bangs out of her face for once. Eliana watched Neela's hands, one of them resting on her cheek for longer than Eliana felt was appropriate and she blushed.</p><p>"So, you forgive me?" Eliana asked her. Neela chuckled softly.</p><p>"Of course, I do," Neela reassured her. "Shadow's fine, and Raven went the best possible way that she could have." Eliana tried to smile but she struggled to do so.</p><p>"I still feel awful," Eliana told her.</p><p>"I'm here for you, Elli," Neela explained. "We'll work through this together." Eliana nodded and gave Neela the smile that she'd come to adore, the two of them sitting in silence for a long moment, Eliana's eyes tracing a pattern out of the carpeting as she gathered her thoughts.</p><p>"I… I remember what you told me… in the Vault," Eliana noted as she blushed, refusing eye contact.</p><p>"It was rushed," Neela told her. "I should have waited…"</p><p>"I think I feel the same," Eliana told her. Eliana faced her, Neela's face bright red as Eliana smiled. The whole time the signs had been there, and she had just been so oblivious. Eliana leaned in, her lips inches from Neela's.</p><p>"Are you sure?" Neela asked.</p><p>"More sure than I've been about anything in a long time," Eliana confessed. She closed the gap, kissing Neela gently on the lips, and the two girls melted into each other, Eliana pulling away first out of breath, a sudden lust gripping hold of her as she tackled Neela onto the bed, the two of them quickly tangled in the sheets, Neela kissing Eliana's neck hard, causing her to gasp and groan involuntarily.</p><p>"Eliana?" Came a voice at the door. The sound of her door opening gripped her violently, throttling her out of her dream and back into her bed where she was still just as out of breath, her chest heaving. <em>No…</em></p><p>"Are you alright? There were some strange noises coming from in here," her uncle Corrin said. She became flush, embarrassed as she sat up and nodded, covering her face.</p><p>"I'm fine," Eliana told them.</p><p>"You don't sound fine," her aunt Grace replied, feeling her forehead. "And you're burning up." Eliana gently removed her hand and stood, composing herself and shrugging.</p><p>"Nope, totally fine," she insisted to them as she squeezed through them to the door. "I'm going to go visit dad."</p><p>"At this time of night?" Grace asked, reaching out to stop her.</p><p>"I'll be fine," Eliana noted. "I've fought way worse than anything I might run into out here."</p><p>"Be careful!" Grace yelled as Eliana slammed the door behind her, breaking out in a full-blown sprint, the cool air feeling great on her body. <em>It was just a dream… but I want it so badly!</em></p><p>
  <em>LIKE THEY'D FORGIVE YOU!</em>
</p><p>Once she'd put some distance between herself and the house she slowed to a jog, passing by the occasional merchant that was traveling late, trying to make it to Haven before they were jumped by bandits so they'd be ready to sell their wares the next day. She felt the presence of a lone Beowolf on occasion, but they seemed to show little interest in her, only wanting to feed on the fear of the weak that were unfortunate enough to wander out of the city limits in the dead of night. Eliana came to a stop at the path that led back to her childhood home, surely her father had words of wisdom to get her through this. She waited a long time, though nothing came to her, instead her mind recalling the carnage they'd come home to that fateful evening.</p><p>Eliana shook her head. No, she wasn't here to dwell on the death of her father. There had to be something that he had told her once that she was overlooking.</p><p>"I told you that I didn't want to come back here," A voice spoke, startling Eliana. She turned to her right, a younger version of herself, entering her pre-teen years, stared at the house in anger, glancing up at her mother and crossing her arms. "I don't understand why you'd want to come back."</p><p>"Why wouldn't I want to come back?" Violet asked her daughter as she began down the path.</p><p>"This is where…" Eliana started before getting choked up. She stopped herself. "This is where it happened."</p><p>"This is where it all happened," Violet told her with a smile. "Where we were married. Where you were born and raised. Your father built this house with his own two hands. So many wonderful memories."</p><p>"Why do you act like it didn't happen?" Eliana asked. The older girl wanted to comfort her younger self but her mother took care of that for her, hugging her daughter.</p><p>"I understand that it happened, but dwelling on the bad only brings me pain, Elli," Violet explained. "Why wouldn't I dwell on the good instead?"</p><p>"That sounds like something Neela would say," Eliana told Violet. The real Eliana chuckled.</p><p>"She's a smart girl," Violet laughed. "I'm glad the two of you are friends." Eliana nodded.</p><p>"Me too," Eliana told her in unison. The memory faded as Eliana phased through them and made the trek back to her father's grave. She listened for his voice, his laughter filled her as she sat cross-legged in front of his headstone and sighed. "It's been a while, dad. Not as long as all the other times I waited to come visit you, but longer than it should have been." Eliana looked up at the stars, thinking about what she needed to say most. "I messed up, dad."</p><p>"I'm not perfect. I'm not as good as you, though I guess that would take more than anyone has to give. To be as good as you. I hurt Neela, and I know that she'd forgive me, but I don't deserve it, and it hurts to think about. I should protect her, even if it's hard. And this is the best thing I can do, right? So, I'm going to stay here a while longer. Maybe I can start over… or maybe one day I can go back once I can trust myself again. Guess you'll be seeing a bit more of me until then. I feel like I'm talking in circles, but you always did know what I was getting at. I have to remember the good with Neela and move past the bad, but it'll never be like it was before." Eliana sighed and pushed herself up to her feet. "You always were the best listener. Love you, dad."</p><p>Eliana walked back to the main path that led back towards Haven, holding her head as high as she could on the way back.</p><p>
  <em>IT MIGHT NOT BE NEELA, BUT YOU'LL MESS UP AGAIN!</em>
</p><p>Eliana shrugged off the feeling. She couldn't keep living in fear of hurting anyone else.</p><p>"Help!" Yelled a voice down the path that was carried to Eliana on the breeze. She sprinted for the cry, moving as fast as her legs would allow, finding one of the merchants she'd passed had gone down an embankment and their wagon had rolled over, pinning them beneath somehow. Eliana tore the fabric apart to find several people within, all wearing masks similar to those of the White Fang.</p><p>
  <em>WE KNEW YOU'D BETRAY HER!</em>
</p><p>Eliana scrambled backward. "Help me!" She glanced towards the cry before looking into the wagon again. They were gone.</p><p>"Hold on, I'm here!" Eliana yelled at them. She used a forcefield to assist her in rolling it off them, the woman had cat ears and a baby in her arms that was screaming loudly as she uncovered it.</p><p>"Please don't hurt us," She pled.</p><p>"I'm here to help you," Eliana insisted as she helped the woman to her feet.</p><p>"Oh, thank you," She said as she looked the wagon over and cradled her child, rocking it back and forth. "Ever since that Zilla was taken down at the hands of a Faunus, things have been rough out here for us."</p><p>"What?" Eliana asked, confused.</p><p>"Some Beacon student," she explained. "We know that she was only trying to make things better, but word spread like wildfire that Zilla's fears were coming true, and the people of Mistral began to believe it. The attack on Beacon didn't help either, it's almost like we've gone back to a time before the Faunus War." Eliana took a step back. "It's nice to know that there are people out here still willing to help Faunus."</p><p>"I'm a huntress in training," Eliana told her. "It's an honor to help those in need." The woman nodded but frowned.</p><p>"Not even all Huntsmen feel that way towards us," she explained as Eliana helped her up the drop-off. Eliana's mind reeled. They had caused this discrimination in the process of fighting it? She knew what she had to do now. Starting with a conversation with Stratford.</p><hr/><p>"Did you hear the news?" Ivory asked Vin as she flopped down onto the couch in the sunroom of the beach house, staring out at the waves as Yvonne obstructed her view for a moment, glaring at the girl as she continued on her way to the bathroom. Vin sipped on his coffee as a naked man stumbled into the hall and stared at them before covering himself with his hands. He combed the room over with his eyes, trying to find Yvonne before Vin pointed towards the door with his hand. "She's in the bathroom." Vin shot her a look and sighed in frustration as the man rerouted through the sunroom and knocked on the door.</p><p>"Vin had it right the first time," Yvonne called through the door. "I need a shower and I wanted a little something to remember you by. There might be a towel in the laundry basket by the door there that you can use to head back up to the dorms. Hope it was good for you too." The man looked back at Vin who still pointed at the door.</p><p>"I don't know what to tell you, it's just how she is," Vin explained. With that, the stranger left and they were in silence once more. "For the love of Oum, return Cobalt's calls. If he keeps calling the beach house I am going to put a hole through one of the windows sooner than later."</p><p>"Cobalt knows the rules," Yvonne called back to them as she started the shower. "When my calendar is open again, I'll call him. There are just so many cute freshmen though, and I'm dying to find out which one of them actually knows how to please a woman."</p><p>"Probably none of them, they're freshmen," Vin yelled, shaking his head.</p><p>"Then how's about you show me how it's done," She asked.</p><p>"No!" He shouted.</p><p>"It was worth a try," Yvonne giggled. Vin took another drink of his coffee and stared at the newspaper.</p><p>"Anything interesting in there?" Ivory asked him as he thumbed to the next page.</p><p>"Strakh somehow got away from the Atlas Military again," he noted.</p><p>"Almost makes you wonder if they know what they're doing," Rowan added as he also left Yvonne's room and joined them, only wearing his boxers.</p><p>"Put on some clothes," Ivory demanded.</p><p>"Oh come on, you've seen worse," he scoffed. She rolled her eyes and looked back at Vin again.</p><p>"My question still stands," Ivory noted.</p><p>"Which was?" Vin inquired.</p><p>"Did you hear the news?" Ivory repeated. Vin looked up from the paper.</p><p>"Depends on the news," Vin offered.</p><p>"Neela isn't the top of the second years anymore," Ivory informed them. Vin sprayed his coffee as the front door opened and he wiped his counter off with a nearby paper towel.</p><p>"What?" Vin asked.</p><p>"No shit?" Rowan added.</p><p>"Hey, guys, what's up?" Ilia asked, closing the door behind her.</p><p>"Is Neela not in first anymore?" Ivory blurted out.</p><p>"As far as I'm aware… did you guys hear differently?" Ilia asked them.</p><p>"Just a few things on social networks," Ivory told her. "It's probably nothing though."</p><hr/><p>"Goodwitch!" Titus yelled as he slammed his fist repeatedly against her office door.</p><p>"Titus, it's not a big deal," Neela insisted as she tried to pull him away. "It wouldn't be fair if they left me in first if I haven't been putting in any work recently."</p><p>"There are extenuating circumstances, I think that it's completely reasonable," Titus replied as he went back to knocking loudly on her door.</p><p>"Did you happen to see Eren this morning?" Neela asked Titus. He paused for a moment.</p><p>"Not that I can recall, why?" Titus questioned.</p><p>"I've been a little hard on him and wanted to apologize," Neela explained.</p><p>"I think that's going to be an involuntary reaction from you towards him for a while," Titus noted. "You subconsciously treat him like that cause he's not Elli." Neela rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Thanks, Dr. Oobleck, I'll be sure to remember that in the future," Neela stated cocking her hip.</p><p>"It's true!" Titus insisted. He looked past her. "Oh, hey, Eren!"</p><p>"Listen, Eren, I'm sorry about yesterday but you need to listen to me when I tell you to do things in combat," Neela instructed as she turned around to find an empty hall.</p><p>"See?" Titus asked. Neela sighed.</p><p>"You made your point," Neela agreed.</p><p>"Open up!" Titus demanded as he returned to pounding on the door.</p><p>"Titus!" Coco yelled from her office. "If you don't stop that racket I'm going to give you detention just because I can! Go to class! Or breakfast! Or wherever the hell you're supposed to be right now!"</p><p>"I have a complaint and it's a situation that needs to be rectified quickly," Titus explained heading down the hall to her office.</p><p>"Detention?" Coco threatened again. Titus grumbled and kept walking past her door. "Thank you!"</p><p>"Really, it's fine," Neela said again. "I'll be ready to fight again soon and then I'll be back in first in no time. And I wouldn't worry about our team losing first place. Soon we'll be paired with our third years and we'll get even stronger! As soon as we can get that damn Eren onboard…" He shook his head as they left the administrative building.</p><p>"There you go again," Titus pointed out.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah," Neela dismissed him. "Is the other part of it the fact that they didn't give it to you?"</p><p>"I can't fault them for that," Titus exhaled. "Lykos beat me fair and square, he deserves first place for a while."</p><p>"Boy, you've eaten the whole humble pie since you started here, haven't you?" Neela laughed. He scoffed.</p><p>"I've always been humble," he stated with his chest out.</p><p>"Nothing wrong with taking a little pride in your work," Neela said as they entered the cafeteria. Team CBLT entered at the same time from the opposite end and without missing a beat, Tawney rushed across the room and slid to a stop a few inches from Neela.</p><p>"Not so untouchable now, huh!?" Tawney taunted, throwing gang signs and getting in Neela's face.</p><p>"I never claimed to be, you always just assumed I was," Neela replied. Tawney turned red and stepped back.</p><p>"I never said that!" Tawney shouted. "After I pass you this year you'll never climb back up."</p><p>"We'll see if that's how it plays out," Titus laughed.</p><p>"Who asked you?" Tawney barked at him. Cobalt trudged over and dragged her away from them.</p><p>"I'll be taking my maniac and leaving, sorry," Cobalt offered.</p><p>"Let me go!" Tawney shouted.</p><p>"Come on, we can rub it in their faces later, Neela's having a rough time," Cobalt scolded. She wrenched free.</p><p>"Fine," she frowned. "Have you seen Bái or Lykos this morning?"</p><p>"Bái said she was going to have a one on one lesson today with Coco, and Lykos has been restless as hell the last couple of days. He's probably passed out in one of the school's lawns if I had to guess," Cobalt remarked.</p><p>"I wonder why he's having such a hard time sleeping," Tawney pondered.</p><p>"Something has got to be bothering him," Cobalt added.</p><p>"Did anyone tell him he's in first yet?" Tawney questioned as they got in line for breakfast.</p><p>"Glynda came by the dorm room last night…" Cobalt began before glancing at her. "Where were you last night?"</p><p>"You have to ask?" Tawney questioned. Cobalt looked at her for a long moment.</p><p>"Yes, apparently, I do," he replied. She groaned.</p><p>"The weight room, obviously!" She exclaimed. "I hardly even have to leave the dorm for anything now! It's the best! If you're ever looking for me, odds are, I'm probably in there." Cobalt's scroll went off and he nearly dropped it as he fumbled it out of his pocket. "Yvonne?" He stared at it for a moment and put it back away.</p><p>"No," he dejectedly remarked. "One of the shops in town telling me that they got some of my parts in for my next project."</p><p>"It's probably something stupid," Tawney guessed.</p><p>"It's not, thank you very much," Cobalt fired back as he grabbed several slices of French toast with the tongs and tossed them onto his tray. "It's science stuff, you wouldn't understand."</p><p>"I can go with you if Yvonne's too busy," Tawney offered. He glanced back at her as he walked towards the table and sat down.</p><p>"If you want to," he replied.</p><p>"Pfft, you've got it all wrong," she defended. "I just know that you can't be left to your own devices."</p><p>"Gee, thanks," Cobalt mumbled. "Still… I wonder where Lykos is."</p><hr/><p>Lykos had been gripped by an unexplainable fear for months, but he refused to tell anyone about it as he didn't want to worry Bái, and he was the only person that he could truly trust to protect her. His mother had killed herself, his father was the cause and he'd let the man die, the people that were the closest, that he trusted the most, were gone in the blink of an eye and he had no one but himself. This was his burden to bear. He would protect Bái no matter what it took, and now that he was the top of the second years, he was filled with new-found confidence with which he could take on the entire world if it came down to it. Bái was everything to him. He stood in the tops of the trees, watching as the second train of the day raced past on the tracks, the auto-turrets disabled as it blew past the old station that remained in Forever Fall near the school, not wanting to put the students in danger if they were out hunting Grimm when it traveled through.</p><p>Today was the day, and he had known it for quite some time. Getting the information was actually easier than he expected, Titus had casually been telling Ilia in the cafeteria that the largest shipment of Dust for the entire year was being sent from the northernmost point of Vale on a high-speed train to the city of Vale. It would be there for a few hours to unload half of its contents before it would continue on its way to the west coast to be loaded onto a boat and then sent to Vacuo for much lower prices than Strakh offered. When that thing had attacked before it had told them that it was created for collecting Dust, and this was the single largest trap anyone could have set for it. Lykos was prepared to take it down.</p><p>The third train wouldn't be coming for another 10 minutes, which left Lykos with a period of thinking up any last details that he needed to patch in his plans, and wondering if he shouldn't turn back. He'd seen what it had done the last time, and they had barely managed to get away from it alive, but he had to keep it away from Bái and this was the best way that he knew how. Something changed in the air once there was five minutes before the train's arrival, and he could sense that the android had entered the forest. He took one more look over the area before heading towards the spot they'd found him the first time. He found bandits, wearing White Fang masks which gave him pause. The White Fang were dead, weren't they?</p><p>"If we get caught with these masks on we're going to get worse than just a slap on the wrist from the police," one of the men spoke to the other as they lugged a large device towards the tracks.</p><p>"Mercury told us to wear the damn things," The man in charge yelled at them. "He must have a plan. Maybe he thinks it'll scare people away. I just don't understand why he didn't send the Stardust Gang out here to do the dirty work like he normally does."</p><p>"They've probably got more important things to do," the third noted.</p><p>"Like what?" The first asked as he let go of the device and the other man carrying it dropped it close to his feet. "Anymore the Stardust gang just spends all their damn time in that bar. If you ask me, Mercury has gotten too comfortable."</p><p>"I don't care what you two think!" The boss shouted. "If this earth Dust canister doesn't make it onto the tracks before that SDC train comes through, you can both forget about any of the money we might have scored from this job."</p><p>"I have to ask that you put down the earth Dust and let me take it off your hands," said a voice that sent a chill through Lykos. He turned his head slightly to view Damu, the machine walking slowly towards the men, still as naked as he'd been the first time.</p><p>"First, who are you?" The boss asked. "And second, how'd you know we had earth Dust in here?"</p><p>"It does not matter why or how, what matters is that you hand it over so that I will not be forced to hurt you," Damu informed them. "My directive is not to injure, but to collect any and all Dust that I come across."</p><p>"He looks kind of freaky," one of the goons pointed out. "I say we give it to him."</p><p>"I refuse!" The boss declared. "I'd much rather face off against this thing than face Mercury's wrath later."</p><p>"We're running out of time!" The third noted.</p><p>"Then take care of it!" The leader ordered. He stood, wrench in hand as he took a step towards the automaton. "Come on then!" The canister erupted and Damu manipulated the Dust, coating the three of them in earth Dust before they could react. As the men became stone, one of the slots in the machine's backlit up, activating gravity Dust. It floated through the air from his fingertips but tore the statues apart, leaving nothing behind but traces of dirt. It absorbed the rest of the Dust from the canister into its body, quaking with power before stabilizing. The train's bell rang, alerting the two of them to its arrival and Damu moved before Lykos could attack. It burst through the trees, an absurd wave of gravity Dust threw the train on its side and a controlled stream of wind Dust laid it gently in the grass to keep it from blowing the entire forest away.</p><p>Lykos needed to leave. This was the stupidest idea that he'd ever had. Damu had grown stronger since the last time they'd run away from him. There was no way that Lykos would leave here alive if he engaged. His legs carried him forward without his cognitive permission. Death was certain. He had to protect Bái but was this cost worth it. Lykos stopped a few feet away, watching the robot work methodically, organizing the Dust into type as he tore open the boxcars and gently lifted and set down endless crates. On occasion he would absorb the Dust, pausing for a moment as it coursed through his system before returning to his task.</p><p>"What do you want with Bái?" Lykos asked, drawing its attention. He hesitated for a moment before turning around to face Lykos, its face as emotionless as ever as it blankly stared through the huntsman. It contemplated whether or not it knew the man before it returned to his task, hardly giving him the time of day. Lykos felt his fear being overcome by frustration and he took another step closer to the humanoid, grabbing it by the arm against his better judgment. It glanced back at him, blasting Lykos away with gravity Dust with enough force to send him through several trees.</p><p>"I assume you mean that girl that had Dust somehow intertwined with her DNA," Damu noted as he absorbed more of the Dust before moving multiple crates at once, like a telekinesis user who had mastered their powers and had even gone beyond. Lykos stood, his aura had taken a decent hit, but it wasn't anything significant to worry him yet, and he assumed that his aura would keep the machine from destroying him instantly. He shrugged it off, removing the hilt of his whip and allowing the shuriken to assemble from his pelt as he spread out his arms and took an attacking stance.</p><p>"I'm not going to let you take her, or any of the rest of this Dust," Lykos informed him.</p><p>"If you stand in the way of my directive I will have no choice but to eliminate you," Damu informed him, facing the student once more. Lightning fizzled off of Damu's body, arcing into the ground and the remaining shell of the bomb that Mercury's men had brought with them. "Your semblance is useless against me, and though your skills may be apt, those weapons will be unable to damage my body. Do you still feel confident in your abilities?" Lykos smirked.</p><p>"Yeah, as the top of the second years, I guess I do feel a bit confident," he replied. Without warning, two Alpha Beowolves crashed through the tree line, both in a blinding rage as they stormed into the area around the rails, completely trampling Damu as he was caught off guard. The three of them tumbled around a bit as Lykos tried to make out where the android was in the pile, his illusion holding up well against the real Alpha that was trying to defend its territory. Lykos prepared to move in once his fake had been taken care of, but Damu forced his hand, using wind Dust to slice up the Grimm with ease, floating as he emerged and came closer to Lykos.</p><p>"That won't net the same result a second time," Damu informed him. Ice pikes rose from the earth as Lykos sprang backward on his hands, landing on all fours consecutively before a knife of air Dust removed a tree from its stump, and a follow up of gravity sent it crashing into Lykos's path. He used his whip to catch a nearby trunk that was intact, swinging out of the way before nailing the downed foliage. He careened through the air, his throwing stars scattering as his feet made impact with another tree and he leapt off as Damu destroyed it. "How long do you think you can survive? Will you run once more?"</p><p>The shuriken missed their target, flying past Damu as he used a slight push of wind Dust to remove them from their paths, a bolt of lightning firing from him towards Lykos and he found himself unable to dodge as he was in midair. He took the full force, flying further into the forest, mind-scrambling as his body met a wall of earth that Damu had created behind him. He had to keep Bái safe. He had to. He couldn't let her die like his mother had. Damu came closer, the trees splintering around him as he floated towards Lykos.</p><p>"This is the best that Beacon has to offer?" Damu questioned. "It's no wonder that the Atlas military figured they were better off with an army of automated defense systems."</p><p>"Not yet," Lykos stated. The shuriken came back, wrapping themselves around Damu and restricting him with Dust lines, coursing lightning through the lines that lit Damu up, but appeared to have little effect. He snapped through them with ease, the projectiles returning to Lykos. He formed his whip quickly, diving forward as an Ursa crashed through the stone pillar behind him and thundered into Damu followed by several others. Lykos remained motionless as the stampede ignored him, running simply to get away from a second Alpha that he'd created as a means of moving the pack towards them.</p><p>"Trivial," Damu informed him as he disintegrated them with a blast of fire Dust. "You are no more than an annoyance and once I'm finished with you I will take Bái and return her to Mistral. I was tasked with bringing back everything that is or contains Dust, and that includes Bái." Lykos charged again, this time avoiding two Dust attacks as he made it in close and attacked Damu with his whip, but it had no effect. The android gave him a blank look once again. "Do you not understand? There is nothing that you can do to me that will stop me."</p><p>"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean that I can just give up," Lykos informed him.</p><p>"You won't need to give up," Damu told him. An arc of lightning disbanded Lykos's whip, sending the shurikens firing off in different directions. "Death will find you soon enough." Gravity Dust crashed into Lykos, tearing his aura apart deliberately, completely shattering it before the robot laid his hand on Lykos's chest. "To think that you'd be so foolish. I find it interesting." A large laser beam crashed into Damu from the side, crumpling him and sending him flying towards the train. Lykos glanced over to see Cobalt who stood behind an ice lens, emerging from the woods with Bái, Tawney, Coco, and Nora.</p><p>"Dammit Lykos," Cobalt yelled at him as he reached him first. "You can't go off on your own like this facing off against things that are clearly going to mess you up."</p><p>"Are you okay?" Bái asked, brushing his cheek.</p><p>"I'm okay," Lykos coughed as he stumbled and took a knee.</p><p>"We're here to help, you know?" Cobalt stated.</p><p>"Since when did you become such a reasonable person?" Tawney asked. Cobalt smirked.</p><p>"I decided that we needed to get more serious after the White Fang attacked the school," Cobalt noted. "So I've been watching the most serious anime that I could find." Tawney groaned.</p><p>"For a second I thought he was being sincere!" Tawney shouted.</p><p>"What do we know about it?" Coco asked.</p><p>"It's powered by Dust," Lykos declared. "I can't seem to damage it with my shuriken, they aren't strong enough. He just absorbs Dust, so that's kind of out. Not to mention, his control over it is insane." Coco nodded and noted the train.</p><p>"And he just so happened to stumble upon the largest Dust collection of the year…" Coco offered.</p><p>"So what do we do?" Nora asked.</p><p>"What if we overload it with electricity?" Cobalt asked. Nora smirked and bent her legs.</p><p>"Sounds like a plan to me," she declared.</p><p>"How fortunate that someone turned up to rescue you," Damu spoke as he found his feet and repaired himself. The robot made his way towards them as Cobalt moved to the front of the group.</p><p>"Oh?! You're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're coming right to me?" Cobalt shouted. He gave a smug grin as he placed his hand over his mouth, his fingers resting near his nose. "I suppose that's fine, I can't beat the shit out of you if you don't come closer."</p><p>"You think this is a joke?" Damu asked as he drew nearer still.</p><p>"Get ready," Coco instructed Nora. Nora nodded, lightning surging through her body.</p><p>"Next you're going to say 'Anyone who stands in the way of my orders needs to be eliminated!" Cobalt yelled.</p><p>"Anyone who stands in the way of my orders needs to be eliminated," Damu informed them.</p><p>"Cobalt! You mind getting ready!?" Tawney asked.</p><p>"My mind is completely clear. As long as I maintain my breathing, there's no way that he can hope to defeat me!" Cobalt declared.</p><p>"I hate you!" Tawney screamed at him.</p><p>"Now!" Coco ordered.</p><p>"You got it!" Nora replied. She leapt, Coco swinging her purse around and launching Nora as she landed on the handbag, crashing into Damu who absorbed the lightning, but the force of her swing tore him in two and his body scattered, screaming through the woods at high speed.</p><p>"I don't think he's finished!" Lykos informed them. Dust began to drift through the air from the crates near the train towards Damu's segments. Coco sprinted past Nora.</p><p>"Come on!" Coco called for her. Nora followed, leaving the students behind.</p><p>"Bái, keep an eye on Lykos," Tawney told her. "I'm gonna take this psycho and we'll go help Coco and Nora." Bái nodded.</p><p>"Got it," Bái replied.</p><p>"I'm not a psycho," Cobalt debated.</p><p>"Yep… sure…" Tawney said with an eye roll.</p><p>"It's not working!" Nora declared as she crashed back out of the woods past Cobalt and Tawney, gravity Dust trailing after her as it planted her firmly in the ground. Coco mowed down several projectiles that Damu had hurled at her, standing at the ready, but clearly concerned.</p><p>"I don't think overloading his circuits is going to work," Coco pointed out.</p><p>"Useless," Damu stated, throwing Coco back with wind Dust and using her to take Nora's legs out from under her.</p><p>"I think it'll still work," Cobalt declared.</p><p>"Did you hear her?" Tawney asked. "Are you being dense on purpose?"</p><p>"I'll distract him," Cobalt told her.</p><p>"I'm not following, Cobalt," Coco informed him.</p><p>"You can amplify Dust, can't you?" Cobalt inquired. Coco brushed herself off and chuckled.</p><p>"Now I follow," Coco replied.</p><p>"Damu!" Cobalt shouted. "Face me one on one."</p><p>"Just die already," Damu declared. Cobalt chuckled, creating his clone behind him and covering his face with his hand.</p><p>"My stand, Red Like Roses Part 2, shall deliver swift justice upon you!" Cobalt declared. His 'stand' raced past him and slashed vigorously at the android. "Damu Damu Damu Damu Damu Damu!" Damu punched a hole through the clone with a single blow, causing it to dissipate on contact and he stepped towards Tawney and Cobalt. Tawney backed away slowly as Cobalt held his ground.</p><p>"Any last words?" Damu inquired.</p><p>"I have one last thing I can try… my secret technique…" Cobalt explained. He turned around and sprinted away as Coco gripped Damu from behind, wrapping her arms around him.</p><p>"How long do you think you can contain me like this?" Damu asked. Coco smirked.</p><p>"Long enough," Coco offered. Damu made an attempt to remove her before one of his canister slots exploded, freeing him as she was forced to let go and she stumbled away. Damu nearly fell onto his chest, stabilizing himself at the last moment as he glared at them.</p><p>"How dare you!" He erupted in anger, the first of any emotion he'd shown. The crates were torn open and Dust raced to his body from every direction.</p><p>"Not so…" Coco shouted before being thrown back. She crashed across the ground, Nora racing in and slamming her hammer into Damu's head. It failed, he'd produced a constant enough supply of earth Dust to create a continuous rock barrier until her swing couldn't maintain its momentum. He used a wave of hard light to push her away from him, eliminating everything in its path as she held firm against it.</p><p>"My mission must be completed!" He declared, taking in more Dust than seemed possible.</p><p>"This can't be good!" Tawney yelled.</p><p>"Then stop him!" Bái offered in reply.</p><p>"Easy for you to say!" Tawney scoffed.</p><p>"Fine, I'll take him on!" Bái announced as she rushed towards the artificial intelligence.</p><p>"Bái!" Lykos called out before gripping his side in pain.</p><p>"Give her a chance!" Cobalt noted. A wave of gravity Dust slashed the air, crashing through a wall of ice as Bái charged in closer, deflecting or nullifying his Dust with her ice. "Come on, Maniac!" Cobalt followed after Bái as Tawney grumbled and sighed.</p><p>"Fine! Fine! Whatever!" She protested but followed.</p><p>"I won't let you take me!" Bái informed the android as they drew closer with her help. This only proved to make it more angry, reduced to a constant stream of wind Dust to try and hold them back as Dust channeled endlessly into his body.</p><p>"I will finish what I came here to do!" Damu thundered. He cracked Bái's defenses, removing the students from getting too close before focusing on Coco once more.</p><p>"He's not absorbing the ice!" Coco noted. "That must be the nodes I fried!"</p><p>"So we don't need to get close enough to hit him…" Cobalt suggested. Bái nodded at him, removing her staff and extending it. "Time to go on the offensive!"</p><p>"Do you really think it's that easy?" Damu cackled.</p><p>"You sound awfully worried," Nora mentioned as she made her way back towards the fight.</p><p>"Nonsense!" He exclaimed. He threw another wave of wind Dust behind him to keep Coco and Nora from getting closer but a lance made of ice impaled him through the chest, distracting him for a long moment. "Enough!" The area surrounding him was lit on fire, stopping Bái in her tracks as she stared at the flames.</p><p>"Cobalt!" Lykos yelled.</p><p>
  <em>What's happening?!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Get rid of everything!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Burn all of the evidence!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They're here!</em>
</p><p>"Sun's getting real low!" Cobalt shouted. Tawney attempted to grab Bái but was pushed backward by a freezing wind, a wall of ice rising to separate them. The same happened to Cobalt as he tried to make a move.</p><p>"No!" Lykos yelled finding his feet but netting the same result.</p><p>"She's panicking!" Tawney noted.</p><p>"But this time she moved us out of harm's way," Cobalt pointed out.</p><p>"That wasn't Damu's wind attack?" Tawney inquired.</p><p>"I don't think that it was," Cobalt offered.</p><p>"So this is why they sent me to get you," Damu stated as he floated towards Bái, lowering his voice.</p><p>"I'm not leaving with you!" Bái screamed. The air chilled, swelling around Damu and slowing him as it affected his circuitry, extinguishing the fire he had started.</p><p>"I guess now is probably a good time," Coco told Nora. She leapt, placing her purse beneath her feet as Nora launched her, Coco landing on Damu as she took him to the ground. "Like I said before, long enough!" Two more of his slots erupted, leaving him earthbound as he rolled over and threw Coco off of him, Bái's assault slowly wearing off as she came to.</p><p>"My turn!" Nora shouted. She came down on Damu, sending enough volts into him to kill a normal person and frying his circuits enough that he overloaded and shut down temporarily. Coco laughed as she slowly found her feet. She stumbled a bit and Nora helped balance her.</p><p>"Guess I can finish him now," Coco noted.</p><p>"I don't think so," another voice argued as he stepped from out of a rift above Damu. "To think they felt this robot could do a better job than I could."</p><p>"Paris," Coco stated as she glared at him.</p><p>"I do have to say, Abigor's toy did keep all of you busy for quite some time," Paris noted.</p><p>"Abigor was behind this!?" Coco shouted at him. She attempted to rush him but stumbled on the way there.</p><p>"I can handle this!" Nora declared. Paris dropped Damu through a rift and leapt in with a wink, disappearing before Nora reached them. Bái's ice wall shattered as Cobalt sliced through it, letting the three of them tumble over what was left to get to Bái.</p><p>"Bái!" Lykos shouted.</p><p>"What happened?" She inquired. Coco slammed her fist on the ground and pointed at Lykos.</p><p>"Don't do that ever again!" Coco scolded him. "If you know about a threat, you tell the staff, police, somebody! You all are as bad as Team RWBY." Nora helped her up off of the ground.</p><p>"You say that like it's a bad thing," Cobalt pointed out.</p><p>"Also, we're doing things a little differently this year," Coco added. "Nora's going to be your field instructor for the year."</p><p>"OH MY GOD!" Cobalt shouted.</p><p>"As opposed to fighting you guys this time?" Tawney asked as she pushed Cobalt away from her.</p><p>"That's just a thing they do for the first years to psyche them up," Nora laughed.</p><p>"You say that like you guys held back," Cobalt chuckled. He glanced at the two of them. "Wait, really?"</p><p>"You kids would get destroyed if we didn't hold back," Coco assured him.</p><p>"Oh yeah!" Cobalt yelled. "Bring it!"</p><p>"Maybe after you graduate," Coco replied as she left.</p><p>"I guess our first mission is going to be cleaning up this mess," Nora blurted out laughing.</p><p>"Seriously?!" Tawney asked.</p><p>"Better get to it, huh?" Nora replied as she walked back towards the school with Coco. "See you kids in a few hours! Ren and I will have protein shakes at the ready!" Cobalt looked at his teammates.</p><p>"Hold me…" He whimpered.</p><p>"Why?" Lykos questioned.</p><p>"I'm scared."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Is that a Jojo's reference?! Yes. Next week, Chapter 10: Discord!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p><p>I'll have another chapter or two out later today ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Discord</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eren and Titus have words with each other...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Things ran a little late with my fiance yesterday, so here are the other two chapters I promised :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Emerald, why don't you come away from that window?" Cinder asked the girl as she sat at the small table in their dorm room and opened the carryout bag, letting the smell of Mistrali food waft into the room as she began to remove the contents and sort them out before her. Mercury threw open the door to the bathroom, sporting little more than a towel as he moved quickly to the table and stole one of the fortune cookies, ripping it in half and sticking it in his mouth before unfurling the paper contained within. "I don't remember telling you that it was time to eat." Mercury chuckled at the fortune before tossing it back over his shoulder to the women.</p><p>"And I don't remember caring," Mercury informed her with a middle finger as he headed back into the bathroom and slammed the door.</p><p>"At least you listen to me, Emerald. For that, I am grateful," Cinder said with a smile as she handed Emerald her container. Emerald blushed, taking it from Cinder before digging around in the bag for a pair of chopsticks. She broke them apart, stealing an occasional glance at Cinder, the woman meticulous and particular about where her cutlery and sauces were placed. She placed the wallet on the table and followed Emerald's eyes to it before the girl looked at her once again. "It was so kind of Mercury to pay for it."</p><p>"Does he know that he paid for it?" Emerald asked her as she opened her container, filling the room with an even stronger scent that ushered a fully clothed Mercury into the room. Cinder smiled devilishly and handed Mercury's wallet back to him.</p><p>"He does now," Cinder stated.</p><p>"What the hell?!" Mercury shouted.</p><p>"Lesson number one, Mercury. Trust no one," Cinder told him as she glared up at him. He grumbled, taking his food and moving to the bed without a second thought.</p><p>"So now that Leo got us into the tournament, and we're here, what exactly are we doing?" Mercury asked with his mouth full. Cinder sighed and rolled her eyes as she took a bite of her noodles, washing them down with water before finally answering him.</p><p>"Salem is not going to reward you for asking questions," Cinder informed him. "We've been sent here to do a job and I'll tell you what you need to know when you need to know it."</p><p>"Did you ever wonder that maybe you don't ask enough questions?" Mercury asked Cinder.</p><p>"Just do what she says," Emerald defended the woman. Cinder smirked.</p><p>"Emerald gets it," Cinder told Mercury.</p><p>"How does it feel being someone's pet," Mercury taunted.</p><p>"I'm not!-" Emerald began before she was cut off.</p><p>"Good pets get rewarded," Cinder told her with a wink as she brushed Emerald's cheek and the girl's face turned a bright red. "I'll take care of both of you as long as you do what I say."</p><p>"Cinder…" Emerald replied in a daze.</p><p>"I'm going to go eat in the cafeteria," Mercury told them as he promptly left.</p><p>"Make sure that you're back no later than eight," Cinder informed him.</p><p>"You know, I killed my old man for being too controlling," Mercury reminded her. Cinder laughed as her eyes narrowed.</p><p>"I'd like to see you try," she offered. He stared at her for a long moment before grumbling again and leaving, closing the door hard behind him.</p><p>"Forget him, Cinder, we'll have a nice night to ourselves," Emerald said hopefully as Cinder stood up.</p><p>"We're not here to have a good time, Emerald," Cinder reminded her. "The only thing that matters is that we see Salem's plans through to the end." Cinder turned away from her, smiling as she looked out the window towards the tower. "Then I'll have the power I seek." Emerald watched her in awe, Cinder had given her a purpose and a place to belong. That was all that she wanted. She would do anything to make sure that it stayed that way. "But you were too scared." Emerald tilted her head in confusion as Cinder turned back towards her, her face scarred and her Grimm arm extending to pin Emerald to the wall.</p><p>"Cinder, please," Emerald gasped.</p><p>"You betrayed me," Cinder stated as Emerald clasped her arm and struggled.</p><p>"You… you left us behind… it's your fault that we failed at Haven," Emerald told her. "I was lost again, I didn't want to spend that time hurting people anymore."</p><p>"We were supposed to see Salem's plans through, those were the instructions that I gave you!" Cinder screamed at her, the rest of her body melting off to reveal an Apathy that cracked its neck with a sudden jolt, screaming at her.</p><p>
  <em>You don't belong here! You don't belong anywhere!</em>
</p><p>"I… I…" Emerald gagged, running out of air as she felt herself slip under. The Apathy released her and she splashed into a Grimm pond, her body suspended in the ooze as she opened her eyes and peered around.</p><p>
  <em>You have to do what's best for you…</em>
</p><p>"Coco?" Emerald spoke softly looking around for the woman. At one edge of the pond above her was Coco, crouched over and reaching into the water.</p><p>"Emerald!" Coco called for her. "Please! You still have a purpose! You can start over, you can fix your mistakes!"</p><p>"Emerald!" Barked a voice from the other end. Mercury knelt at the other end, also presenting his hand. "Come back to us. I can promise you protection and we can finish what Cinder wanted. That's what you want, isn't it?" Emerald stared up at him for a long moment before something grabbed her ankle. She looked down as she squirmed and fought her way towards the surface. A mass of Apathy formed the bottom beneath her, Salem bursting forth from the midst of her Grimm as Emerald kicked free and swam towards the surface. She didn't seem to make any headway swimming straight up, and Salem was growing closer with every passing moment.</p><p>"You can't escape, child," Salem assured her.</p><p>"Emerald!" Coco shouted.</p><p>"Come on, Em," Mercury beckoned. "It's the only way you can escape."</p><p>"Don't listen to him!" Coco yelled. "You can do this, you don't need him. You're stronger now. You need to find your own way!" Emerald began swimming towards Coco as quickly as she could, the Apathy transforming into Salem one by one and giving chase.</p><p>"Help!" Emerald gasped as Coco took her hand and firmly pulled her out of the water. As her body completely exited she jolted awake, sitting up in her bed as she found herself out of breath and sweating profusely. She looked around the small apartment, body shaking as she found her feet, turning the light on, and rubbing her face. <em>You're fine, it was just a nightmare. Mercury can't get to you here. Cinder and Salem are dead, you're fine.</em> She calmed herself before slowly opening the door and peering down the hall, checking the bathroom and closet as she moved past them, both empty. She flipped on the light, the sudden change in brightness assaulting her eyes as she allowed them to adjust and peered around once again. It had been her one night off that week, Coco chose them at random so that no one would know when she wasn't keeping watch, and when she slept at night she normally dreamt due to her changed sleeping hours.</p><p>She left her apartment, walking down the hall and calling out for Coco through her and Velvet's apartment door, waiting for a long couple of minutes before Velvet came to the door, opening it just far enough for Emerald to make out she was wearing an oversized t-shirt, and perhaps nothing more. There was no way that the shirt was Coco's, but perhaps it was what Velvet preferred sleeping in. She smiled at Emerald, leaning back into the living room and calling for Coco.</p><p>"Honey!" Velvet yelled. She looked back out at Emerald. "She'll be here in just a moment."</p><p>"Did you call me, mom?" Lamar asked as he raced to the door, sliding to a stop as he spotted Emerald. "Who is this?"</p><p>"This is a friend of ours," Velvet said as she knelt to his level and looked up at Emerald. <em>Friend? How can you people be so forgiving?</em> "Her name's Emerald."</p><p>"I like her style," Lamar noted with a nod of approval. "You look good." Emerald chuckled, noting the fact that she'd only just rolled out of bed. Her hair must have been a mess, she wore a tank top with a less than cute bra beneath it, and a pair of pajama pants that had simplistic Grimm faces covering them. Perhaps something more appropriate for a younger woman, but she did her best to hold on to her youth.</p><p>"Can you go get Coco?" Velvet asked him as she kissed his forehead. He glanced up at Emerald once more and nodded.</p><p>"Okay!" He agreed before bolting. Emerald watched him for a long moment, envy gripping her. She could have had a life like this with Cinder… or more likely… if Cinder had never found her.</p><p>"What's up, babe?" Coco asked as she approached the door and Velvet pulled it open the rest of the way. "Hey, Em. What's happening?"</p><p>"I want to talk," Emerald told her, shifting her eye contact away from the woman. Coco looked at Velvet and nodded as she stepped out into the hallway.</p><p>"What's going on?" Coco asked her. Emerald rubbed her face and sighed.</p><p>"I just… I don't know if I belong here," Emerald told her.</p><p>"Emerald," Coco cut her off. "I know you feel like we might just be sweeping what you did under the rug, or that we're just trying to use you like Salem and Cinder did, but it's just not true. I want you to do what you feel is right for you. If you think that you need to leave, I'll respect that decision, but you have a group of people here that consider you as a friend now that want to see you succeed. The choice is entirely yours, I will not make you do anything that you're not comfortable with." Coco thought about it for a moment. "Even infiltrating the Stardust Gang. If you're not up for it, I won't make you. You're your own person."</p><p>"I…" Emerald began. "I don't deserve you. Any of you." Emerald held back tears. "I… I don't know what to say, really."</p><p>"You don't have to say anything," Coco chuckled. "You don't owe us, we don't owe you. We're just good people trying to help each other get by in life. You spent so much time trying to survive, why don't you spend the rest of your life living?" Emerald laughed.</p><p>"I think I might enjoy that," Emerald told her. She looked at Coco. "I want to help stop Mercury. It might be a while before I can confront him without remembering what happened before, but I want to help." Coco nodded.</p><p>"I don't blame you," Coco told her. Coco smirked. "So… how does breakfast sound?" Coco brushed past her and knocked on Emerald's door, the illusion in the hallway disappearing. Emerald opened the door and rubbed the back of her neck.</p><p>"If you don't mind having me," Emerald shrugged. Coco shook her head.</p><p>"I'm going to break you in yet."</p><hr/><p>"Stop!" Titus shouted down the dorm hallway as Eren stared at him for a long moment, watching the elevator doors close and hearing Titus frustratedly thunder towards him, opting for the stairs and more or less leaping down them to the landing, Eren stopping the elevator and getting back out on the floor he was already on, making sure that the elevator continued down to the first floor by pressing the button. He sighed, lazily heading back towards the room, planning to lock himself away so that he could finish some of the school work that he'd missed out on up to this point. Ilia was gone for the rest of the day with her boyfriend… whatever the hell his name was. Titus had been trying to dog Eren into a conversation for the last few days, wanting to 'pick' his brain so he could get down to the root of why he and Neela didn't get along the best at the moment. Eren just wanted some peace and quiet, was it too much to ask?</p><p>Ah yes, and Neela. Neela was with her grandfather, apparently, in her spare time she'd started going to his house in Vale to talk about Raven and Summer, keep him company, further her hand to hand combat skills, it all sounded like the most boring drabble to Eren, so he did his best to ignore it. Neela… she was something else and Eren could quite place the feeling. To say that she was attractive was greatly underselling her looks, but Eren wasn't as interested in her looks as he was in her status. Until some incident with a classmate of hers, or whatever, the girl had been the top of her class, and after Eren's fight with her, he wanted to know as much as he could learn about her. If she acknowledged that he was a great fighter, then it had to be true. The feeling that washed over him during their fight was hard to place, it almost seemed as though she was looking into the future, and he'd never felt more vulnerable since the… accident.</p><p>A banging on the door to the room startled him and he groaned, making his way over and opening it for Titus who was visibly frustrated.</p><p>"You're not great at talking, are you?" Titus asked. Eren smirked as he moved back to his chair again and leaned back lazily.</p><p>"Oh, I'm great at talking, charisma is one of my defining features," he boasted. "I just couldn't care less about the three of you, you know?"</p><p>"I was there once," Titus began. "Thinking I was this amazing fighter who didn't need anyone. That I could climb to the top and handle everything head-on by myself." Titus sat across the room from Eren who stared at his computer monitor. "If Elli was here, I'd have her talk some sense into you, but…"</p><p>"Yeah?" Eren stopped him. "Where is this girl? Why'd she leave? What happened?"</p><p>"That's not for me to say," Titus bit his lip. "Neela can tell you when she's ready."</p><p>"That bad, huh?" Eren scoffed. "You guys are just proving my point."</p><p>"The situation surrounding the circumstances under which Eliana left…" Titus explained before he was cut off.</p><p>"Excuses," Eren spat. "Teammates are great, right?" Eren stood. "Yeah, sure. But if you're too busy relying on them the unthinkable happens." Eren glared at Titus. "They're not there to 'make you stronger, or whatever bullshit that you've convinced yourself of. They're a failsafe at best, and that's if they're even worth their salt."</p><p>"That's not true," Titus told him as he stood himself. "I wouldn't be where I am today without Eliana, Ilia, and Neela." Eren covered his face and began laughing.</p><p>"How naive!" He shouted. He removed his hand, his eyes crazed as he threw his head back. "Imagine believing such garbage! I would have died in Mistral! That desolate wasteland! Neela wanted to know why I decided to stay at Anzen for an extra year?!" Titus stepped back from the man, clearly, he had issues that needed to be addressed. "It was the only school that didn't require me to be on a team! I have one priority and one alone! I don't need the burden of watching out for others! I'm the only one that I need to worry about!"</p><p>"What happened to you?" Titus questioned. Eren's face twisted into a scowl.</p><p>"None of your damn business…" Eren replied red in the face as he approached Titus. "You all can go on being this cute little idealistic team that never has a worry or a care in the world, wasting your time bettering each other, but I'm going to do my own thing. You all should have learned that's the best option after you lost your last teammate." He attempted to turn around but Titus caught his arm and Eren looked back up at him. Rage covered Titus' face, it was the first time in a while that Titus could remember losing his cool.</p><p>"You know," Titus spoke softly. "Cobalt says this all the time, and I'm sure it's probably from one of those stupid shows he watches, but I think it's appropriate." Titus pulled back his free fist as his body instantly coated in stone. "Let's see you grit those teeth!" The punch landed square on Eren's jaw, sending him through the wall into the next dorm room over, the team in there panicking as they were taken off guard. They fled into the hall, making their way to the stairs to inform Glynda.</p><p>"This only confirms my beliefs," Eren chuckled as his eyes darkened but a smile gleamed in his mouth. "Let's dance, shall we?" He threw his dagger, striking Titus in the chest before erupting and blasting away part of the stone on his torso, causing him to stumble back as he pulled it out and used it to block several bullets from his opponent. The last shot exploded, forcing Titus back and denting the wall behind him.</p><p>"Sometimes force is the only way to knock some sense into someone," Titus roared. "Admon might have been a madman, but I feel like he was right about that one!" He caught Eren's fists, the two of them struggling before a kinetic blast between their hands forced them apart, another shot from Eren's gun enough to force Titus through the wall.</p><p>"Hey!" Lykos shouted.</p><p>"What the hell?!" Tawney exclaimed.</p><p>"What's happening?" Bái asked. Titus took a running start and tackled Eren back into their room.</p><p>"Has Titus lost his mind?" Lykos questioned as he leapt off of the bed.</p><p>"Do we get in the middle of this?" Tawney inquired excitedly.</p><p>"You're a part of this team, and you're going to act like it!" Titus demanded. He slammed his fist down at Eren's chest but he managed to block the attack and knock Titus off of him.</p><p>"Someone call Glynda!" Cobalt noted as he cloned himself and tried to pull Titus away from Eren. "Pulling a Naruto is not the answer, we can't just beat logic into people!"</p><p>"Yeah, hold him back," Eren laughed. He picked up his dagger and spun it. "These friends of yours won't even help you stop me." He swung it around, holding it inches from Titus, and charged it with a massive kinetic wave, releasing it into the air and removing all of Titus's stone, while also obliterating most of the room he was standing in. "He's weak all by himself, isn't he?" Titus struggled for a long moment before appearing to give up.</p><p>"We done?" Cobalt asked. Without warning, Titus recoated himself in an instant, throwing both Cobalts off of him into the parts of the wall in front of him that were still intact before crashing into Eren and rushing through several rooms. They crashed out of the exterior wall, falling from the second floor and planting Eren on his back, Titus ready to attack again.</p><p>"Take back what you said about Eliana!" Titus demanded.</p><p>"Go to hell," Eren spat.</p><p>"Stop it!" Neela shouted at them as she approached. Titus glanced over, noting it was Neela before his mind finally caught up with his actions. "We need to get along with him." Titus glared at Eren once more before standing slowly, offering a hand to help Eren up, but he smacked it away.</p><p>"I don't need your help," Eren reminded him.</p><p>"Too bad," Neela said as she gripped him by the arm and forced him to his feet. Eren shoved her away.</p><p>"Was it worth it?" Eren asked as his chest heaved. "Putting so much trust in one person that it would hurt this much when they failed you?" Titus swung around with a haymaker but was stopped inches from Eren by Glynda's telekinesis.</p><p>"What is going on here?" Glynda asked.</p><p>"Yes," Neela replied. Eren looked at her, shocked. "It was worth every moment. I wouldn't have done a thing differently." She took a step back from him and looked at Titus who was still suspended in mid-swing. "Is it worth it to shut yourself off from everyone that just wants to help you?"</p><p>"You assume I need help!" Eren roared. "I'm fine on my own."</p><p>"Enough!" Glynda demanded. She glimpsed up at the dorm and sighed. "Both of you are getting detention for the rest of the week."</p><p>"Yes ma'am," Titus replied after Glynda released him.</p><p>"Whatever," Eren said with an eye roll as he walked away.</p><p>"It's simple," Neela called to him. He stopped and looked back at her. "Be a member of this team and I'll recognize you as an equal." He exhaled loudly and stomped off. Neela looked Titus over as his aura broke and he hit his knees. "What happened?"</p><p>"I lost my cool," Titus sheepishly admitted. He shook his head. "I knew it was wrong, but it seemed like nothing I said could get through to him. And then he spoke poorly of Eliana."</p><p>"We know how Elli was," Neela told him. "Let him think whatever he wants. That doesn't matter." Titus nodded.</p><p>"I expect this much from other students Mr. Prasinos, but not from you," Glynda noted as she walked past to repair the dorms.</p><p>"My apologies, headmistress," Titus sighed. Cobalt and the rest of his team ran over to them from the front door, Bái checking him over as he waved her off.</p><p>"Where'd Devil May Cry run off to?" Cobalt asked.</p><p>"He went off to sulk over Neela's refusal to acknowledge his 'worthiness', or whatever he's hoping to achieve," Titus grunted as Lykos helped him to his feet.</p><p>"Perhaps you can be less destructive and have Ilia retrieve him for the meeting tomorrow?" Glynda noted as she walked past them again back towards the tower. Cobalt did a double-take between Glynda and the building.</p><p>"That fast?" Cobalt exclaimed. "You've got to be kidding?!"</p><p>"10 AM in the great hall," Glynda called back. "Don't be late."</p><p>"I have questions!" Cobalt shouted.</p><p>"I do too," Titus grunted as he brushed off some debris. "Do we have to bring him with us tomorrow?" Neela laughed nervously.</p><p>"I mean, we probably don't 'have to' per se, but I can't imagine that Glynda would be too happy if we show up without him," Neela informed him.</p><p>"Hey, guys!" Ilia shouted to them as she approached with Vin. They waved as the two approached, Ilia had a rather large smile on her face. "Let me see how it's healing!" Neela laughed as she pulled up her sleeve.</p><p>"I'm starting to get the feeling that you're more excited about my ink than I am," Neela pointed out.</p><p>"It's just so cool!" Ilia told her.</p><p>"Vin," Titus greeted him.</p><p>"Titus," Vin replied. Cobalt slid between the two of them.</p><p>"Hey, Vin! Great to see you! You haven't seen Yvonne recently, have you?" He inquired, lightly moving Titus back.</p><p>"She's been pretty busy the past couple of weeks," Vin reminded him. "She told us she let you know at the beginning of the year that she had some sampling to do."</p><p>"Why do I have to be privy to this conversation," Titus asked walking back towards the dorms.</p><p>"Well, when she has some time, just have her hit me up," Cobalt said playfully punching Vin in the shoulder. "Pal…" Vin stared at him and nodded once.</p><p>"Sure," Vin replied dryly. He grabbed Ilia's hand, startling her before she noted it was him.</p><p>"You ready to go?" Ilia asked him.</p><p>"I thought you might want to do a little shopping before we went on our date tonight," he offered. Ilia smiled at him and winked at Neela.</p><p>"Be back later tonight!" Ilia told her as she left.</p><p>"Don't be out too late, we have to meet our mentoring team tomorrow at ten!" Neela said.</p><p>"Got it!" Ilia acknowledged as they left.</p><p>"So, who do you guys think you'll be paired with?" Bái inquired.</p><p>"Maybe Team IVRY?" Neela shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, it is chosen at random."</p><p>"You don't honestly believe that, do you?" Tawney jested.</p><p>"I mean, according to Blake and Yang it is," Neela supported her claim.</p><p>"Would they tell you though?" Tawney taunted. Cobalt shook his head and dragged her off.</p><p>"Alright, great talk, later!" Cobalt shouted back.</p><p>"Let go!" Tawney demanded. He did so and glared at her.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Cobalt asked.</p><p>"What are you talking about?" She questioned.</p><p>"You were in a pretty good mood this morning and after Vin and Ilia left, you suddenly turned into angsty Tawney, complete with off-handed remarks and eye-rolls." Cobalt pointed out. "Are you jealous?"</p><p>"What!?" Tawney gawfed. "No! Pfft! Jealous of Ilia? Vin's not even that good looking!"</p><p>"Jealous of Vin then?" Cobalt pried. Tawney left him.</p><p>"No… it's nothing, I'm fine," she insisted as she entered the dorm.</p><p>"She alright?" Neela asked.</p><p>"I'll talk her out of it later," Cobalt noted. "If you guys are lucky you'll end up with Team ONYX."</p><p>"That's Orin's team, right?" Neela inquired.</p><p>"Yes," Lykos answered. "They're the best of the 3rd Years."</p><p>"That'd be cool," Neela agreed. "I think Elli had the hots for Orin."</p><p>"No," Lykos corrected. "Eliana had the hots for Orin for you. She thought you should have Orin." Neela stared at Lykos for a long couple of seconds. "And you thought that Eliana was completely oblivious."</p><p>"Must have been those blinders she had on," Bái laughed. Lykos chuckled and Neela smiled.</p><p>"Yeah, I really had it bad for her," Neela laughed despite the tinge of pain.</p><p>"Past tense?" Lykos pondered. Bái rubbed her arm.</p><p>"It's okay, Neela," Bái assured her. "We're always here if you want to talk." Neela sighed and nodded.</p><p>"Thanks," Neela replied. "With any luck, training with this new team will keep me too busy to think about it."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Will Eren ever get along with the team? Next week, Chapter 11: ONYX!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p><p>This week's chapter coming in thirty minutes or so!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. ONYX</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Team NITE finds out which team of Third-Years will be mentoring them, and one of the members is someone they didn't expect...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"For the love of Oum, can we not be on time for once in our time here at Beacon?!" Titus shouted as they exited the elevator and he thundered through the hall, provoking other students to move quickly out of the way as he motioned with his arms for Neela and Ilia to hurry up behind him. "I guess at this point we might as well find that piss ant, we're already going to be late as it is."</p><p>"Well yeah, but we don't even know where the hell he is or where he might be," Ilia pointed out.</p><p>"Maybe we head into the woods?" Neela offered. "That's where we found him last time, he seems to enjoy spending his free time making quick work of Grimm."</p><p>"I guess you two can go and grab him, I'm going to let Glynda know what's going…" Titus began but was abruptly interrupted by Neela's scroll ringing. She picked it up, not recognizing the number, and put it on speaker.</p><p>"You guys realize you're late, right?" Eren asked with a chuckle.</p><p>"The person you're trying to reach is currently unavailable, call back later," Neela stated. She hung up as she rushed for the great hall with Ilia and Titus close behind.</p><p>"I'm gonna kick his ass… again," Titus noted as they threw open the doors to find Glynda standing on the stage with Eren standing beside her.</p><p>"Nice of you guys to turn up," Eren called to them. "Teach and I were just discussing where I should fit into the rankings."</p><p>"For the last time, it is Headmistress Goodwitch, and yes, we were biding our time as the three of you seemed to be straggling, once again," Glynda pointed out.</p><p>"We were looking for him," Titus huffed.</p><p>"Well, here I am," Eren smirked.</p><p>"Are we ready to begin?" Glynda asked as they climbed up onto the stage.</p><p>"I was born ready!" Ilia exclaimed, hoping Team IVRY would be their mentors.</p><p>"I would like to introduce to you," Glynda stated, pausing for dramatic effect. "Team ONYX."</p><p>"Yes!" Neela declared. From the back of the stage, the first member entered the room, flashing a familiar smile as his eyes lit up.</p><p>"How serendipitous!" He declared. Orin made his way quickly across the stage and gave Neela a hug that swept her off of her feet. He set her back down, kissing her hand. "How is my favorite underclassman doing as of late? I heard that there was a mishap with Eliana. That's most unfortunate, I hope that you're doing well."</p><p>"I'm not doing too bad, thanks," Neela replied. "It's good to see you again."</p><p>"The feeling is mutual," Orin insisted. "And these must be your teammates. I've met these two in passing, though we've never been properly introduced."</p><p>"Ilia Cherny," Ilia introduced herself.</p><p>"I am humbled to be graced by such beauty," Orin replied, kissing her hand. "Orin Akos."</p><p>"She has a boyfriend," Titus informed Orin. Orin gasped and took a step back.</p><p>"Your implications wound me," Orin stated.</p><p>"Titus Prasinos," Titus spoke as he extended his hand to shake Orin's. Orin looked at it for a fleeting moment before gripping Titus harshly and kissing his cheek. Titus glared at Orin who seemed pleased with himself, moving on to Eren.</p><p>"I'm not familiar with this one, Neela," Orin stated.</p><p>"He's new," Neela explained.</p><p>"Well then, it is a pleasure to be making your acquaintance," Orin said, shaking his hand. Titus watched on in confusion.</p><p>"Nobody talks like that," Eren grumbled.</p><p>"Perhaps you might try it someday," Orin insisted. "It's both pleasant and liberating, to say the least."</p><p>"You can't say the least using those kinds of words," Eren spat. Orin smiled in delight.</p><p>"I suppose you're right," Orin agreed. "Though I am yet to catch your name."</p><p>"Eren Prince," Eren spoke. Orin grinned even larger, grappling Eren and kissing his cheek before releasing him.</p><p>"And now we have been acquainted," Orin noted as he stepped across the stage to stand opposite of Neela.</p><p>"Next on Team ONYX we have the powerhouse, Natalia Ironwood," Glynda announced. Titus shot a glance at Glynda in shock before staring towards the door, his nerves dialed up to eleven. The girl stepped out, built like a brick house, Titus felt himself instantly flush and his hands started fidgeting. She was a looker, to be sure, and Titus knew the ins and outs of Natalia like no other. Her short brown hair with blonde highlights was contained within her white bandana that was embellished with the Atlesian emblem in black and blue off center ever so slightly, in a look that was somewhere between windblown and gelled all at the same time. She wore a black softshell jacket zipped up with a matching insignia on the breast, jeans, and steel toe sneakers completing the look to starkly contrast that of Titus who was always in uniform. Her eyes met his, one deep blue, drawing him in as he paid the other no mind, a bright digital orange implant that she'd had made after the accident when she was younger. A goofy smile plastered on her face.</p><p>"One Man Army?!" She shouted. Neela glanced back at Titus who was pale, his legs shaking as he attempted to maintain his composure but it broke and he leapt down, rushing for the entrance.</p><p>"Mr. Prasinos!" Glynda yelled at him. Neela turned to move but Natalia was already sprinting past her.</p><p>"I got this one, Headmistress!" Natalia called back as she gained ground on Titus who had already exited the building. Neela and Ilia blinked at each other as Orin rubbed his forehead.</p><p>"She tried to warn you, you know," Orin told Glynda.</p><p>"I knew they had a history, but I never expected that reaction," Glynda defended her decision.</p><p>"Do we continue, or…" Eren asked.</p><p>"I'll give them a few minutes," Glynda decided.</p><hr/><p>"Titus," Natalia called out to him to wait up, but he was determined not to stop, moving even faster as he could hear her gaining on him. He was short on breath, his mind unwilling to accept the fact that Natalia was back, and even refusing, even more, to acknowledge that she was acting as though everything was alright between the two of them. He ignored her for the moment being, only stopping when she caught him after activating her semblance, catching his arm and stopping hard with close to enough force to pop his shoulder out of socket. He winced in pain before swinging around to look at her, his face red with anger instead of the initial regret that had overcome him. "I know you're angry…"</p><p>"You put on quite an act coming on to that stage and acting excited to see me," he told her. She released him, confusion twisting her expression.</p><p>"What? Why would I be angry at you?" She asked.</p><p>"Why would…" He stuttered before laughing abruptly. "That's rich, Natalia."</p><p>"Am I missing something?" Natalia asked him.</p><p>"You don't remember the last time that we saw each other?!" He shouted hoping to jog her memory. She stared at him for a long moment before covering her mouth and shaking her head. She sighed loudly.</p><p>"I never forgot that day," she told him. "But Winter and I talked about it quite a bit. She said that you were going through a rough patch and that it was Admon talking, not you. She said you didn't really believe that you were better off on your own, that you only said that because Admon had scared you into believing that you needed to be able to do it all on your own. I heard what happened with your new teammate, we both know you care about strength in numbers just as much as you did before Admon came around."</p><p>"I still can't forgive myself for saying those things to you," Titus told her. She reached for his hand but he backed away.</p><p>"Does it help that I forgave you?" She asked. "I knew you were struggling in it, how many nights did you wake me up, calling me before hanging up the moment I answered."</p><p>"Have you been here the whole time, or did you just transfer?" Titus questioned.</p><p>"Funny story that," she chuckled nervously. He glared at her.</p><p>"The whole time then," he growled.</p><p>"I was undercover," she replied in a hushed tone.</p><p>"Why the hell would Winter send you here to be undercover? And how the hell did you manage to avoid me for an entire year?" Titus barked, refusing to believe she was being truthful with him.</p><p>"I can't tell you that without Winter's consent, you know that," Natalia replied. "And avoiding you wasn't easy, but since the first years are so secluded I only needed to know your schedule. We were out on missions with our mentoring team most of the time, and the rest of the time I secluded myself to the weight room in the dorms. I watched you every morning when you went out for your jogs, you can't know how badly I wanted to tell you I was here before this."</p><p>"Whatever," he scoffed as he turned away from her. She chuckled.</p><p>"I see your nickname still holds up," She jested. He glanced back at her. <em>One Man Army.</em> It was something that he was desperately trying to get away from, but he still had a tendency of taking things on by himself, didn't he? He thought of his fight with Eren. He should have gotten a teacher or Neela involved. "Can we just try and get along at least? You and your teammates are going to be stuck with us for the year, you know?" He nodded and extended his hand.</p><p>"I guess we can shake on it," he informed her. She looked at his hand and laughed.</p><p>"Oh no," she told him. She wrapped her arms around him and lifted him up in a tight hug that caused his back to crack. 'You don't get out of this that easily."</p><p>"Please… put me down," he gasped.</p><p>"Harder?" She asked with a smirk.</p><p>"No…" he inhaled sharply. She set him back down and brushed her hands off as she began to walk back towards the great hall. He watched her on the way back to the building. It was surreal, she was right in front of him! He wasn't sure that he bought her story about being undercover just yet, convinced that she'd avoided him because she hated him and she was just really good at playing it off. His heart pounded in his chest as their footsteps thundered in his ears. He forgot what this felt like.</p><p>"Admit it, One Man Army," she teased. "You missed me."</p><p>"I'll only admit that studying was far easier without you around," he asserted with a smile.</p><p>"Ouch!" She seethed. "I see how it is."</p><p>"And you can refer to me as Gargoyle if you have to use some gaudy alias," he informed her. She looked at him surprised.</p><p>"And here I thought you hated that one," she replied.</p><p>"I did," Titus explained passing her. She smirked.</p><p>"Well I'm gonna keep calling you One Man Army, but it's nice to see that the Gargoyle is finally coming out of his shell," she announced with a wink, nearly tripping over herself as she stumbled into the door. It swung open violently and the five students, plus Glynda, watched on.</p><p>"Ahem," Orin cleared his throat. "Talia, perhaps you can act a bit less sporadic today? We are meeting our protégés for the first time, after all."</p><p>"Yes, sorry, Orin," she replied as she marched back across the room and leapt back onto the stage, taking her place next to Orin. Titus climbed back up, looking at Neela who observed his hands fidgeting.</p><p>"Things okay between you two?" Neela asked. Titus nodded.</p><p>"For the most part," he replied. Natalia shook her head.</p><p>"They're fine," she assured them as she took a step to Neela and shook her hand. "You must be Neela Xiao Long. I heard about your actions during the White Fang attack. Impressive. I hope I can give you a few pointers to make you a better fighter." Neela smiled at her.</p><p>"That would be awesome," Neela agreed. Natalia moved on to Ilia and shook her hand.</p><p>"Ilia Cherny," Ilia introduced herself.</p><p>"You have the ability to possess people, right?" Natalia inquired.</p><p>"Putting it lightly, yeah," Ilia noted. Natalia lit up.</p><p>"That's awesome! Hope you guys are ready to kick some ass with us!" Natalia exclaimed.</p><p>"Talia!" Orin barked.</p><p>"Right, professional," she shot back at him. She cleared her throat. "A pleasure to meet you." Ilia nodded and smiled widely at Natalia. Titus ignored her.</p><p>"She's nice," Ilia whispered to him.</p><p>"Shut up," Titus murmured.</p><p>"And you must be the renegade that Titus fought," Natalia noted shaking hands with Eren.</p><p>"Yeah, that's me," Eren grumbled with an eye-roll.</p><p>"He seems thrilled to be here," Ilia muttered.</p><p>"He is the worst," Titus griped.</p><p>"Titus!" Glynda huffed under her breath.</p><p>"He'll be a team player in no time," Neela insisted.</p><p>"Thank you, Natalia," Glynda told her. Natalia gave her a thumbs up.</p><p>"No sweat," Natalia replied.</p><p>"Next, we have the team's stealth specialist, Yin Suterusu," Glynda announced. They all turned their attention towards the door that Natalia and Orin had entered through, but no one came out.</p><p>"Can he turn invisible?" Ilia asked.</p><p>"Not exactly," a voice replied standing directly behind her. She swung around out of instinct and he caught her arm, holding it in place as she calmed down. "You should see the look on your face."</p><p>"You're lucky I didn't hit you!" Ilia exclaimed.</p><p>"I was pretty confident in my ability to block," he noted, releasing Ilia and walking past her to the middle of the two teams. Yin looked as if he had been ripped right out of a tale about ninjas, wearing a black tunic with loose matching bottoms, his feet simply wrapped in bandages. An orange sash doubled as a belt that was far too large around his waist, looped through a silver ring that kept it secured, another white sash wrapped diagonally across his body, draped over his left shoulder and crossing his torso before disappearing around the right side near his stomach. His short black hair seemed a mess, despite not being long enough to be messy. "I'm present, Headmistress."</p><p>"Then perhaps you'd like to introduce yourself to Team NITE," Glynda suggested. He nodded.</p><p>"Sure," he answered, approaching Neela. "Yin Suterusu. You can just call me Yin for short. Or anything else, if you'd like, I'm not picky." He shook her hand and offered her a smile.</p><p>"Neela Xiao Long," she told him. His eyes lit up and his reserved demeanor switched gears as he pointed at her and bounced on his feet, looking at Orin.</p><p>"This is her!?" Yin shouted. Orin folded his arms and nodded. Yin looked at her again, his mouth wide in shock. "I wish I could have been there when you and Bird Boy put those upperclassmen in their place. He talks pretty highly of you, you must have some skill!"</p><p>"That was us," Neela confirmed. Yin shook his head.</p><p>"Damn," he said. He moved onto Titus, saluting him. "Sir!"</p><p>"I already told you, Yin. You don't have to do that," Natalia informed him.</p><p>"How come you never dress like this, huh?" Yin asked. Titus chuckled.</p><p>"That's none of your concern," Natalia said.</p><p>"I like him already," Titus chuckled as he saluted back before shaking his hand. "Titus Prasinos."</p><p>"Cool," he responded nodding his head. "Totally going to remember that." He looked back at Natalia and shook his head and she sighed, rolling her eyes. He moved onto Ilia. "And you look like you can handle yourself." His fiery, orange eyes held hers for a second, drawing attention away from the scar that ran along the right side of his jaw.</p><p>"I can. Ilia Cherny," she answered.</p><p>"Nice to make your acquaintance," Yin informed her. He slid over to Eren. "And you are?"</p><p>"Eren Prince," he replied, unfolding his arms to shake hands.</p><p>"You need to relax, huh?" Yin asked.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Eren inquired.</p><p>"If there was any more negativity coming off you, I'd guess that it was your semblance," Yin noted. He patted him on the shoulder and moved next to Natalia. "How'd I do?"</p><p>"That's probably the most restrained we've ever seen you around new people," Orin interjected for her.</p><p>"Phew, what a relief," Yin exhaled.</p><p>"And lastly, we have Team ONYX's brawler, Xavier Nudara," Glynda stated as they all shifted to face the entrance one last time.</p><p>"Well, I'm here on time and under my own free will, and that's probably the most that anyone could possibly ask of me" He flashed a smile at Glynda. "I am here on time, right?"</p><p>"Surprisingly, yes, but we're short on time so if we could continue to move things along..." Glynda requested. He smiled and nodded repeatedly, his bright green eyes lighting up.</p><p>"Sure, yeah, no problem." He agreed. He approached Neela who looked him over. He was always bouncing on his feet, he appeared to wear some kind of specially designed shoe and track pants with a bright gold stripe that ran up the sides, matching his black sleeveless sports vest with gold detailing that ran along the seams, as well as made up his emblem across his back, which resembled a blade being swiped horizontally. Neela noted that he wore bracers that appeared to have extendable blades that she assumed were made of some kind of Dust alloy, with the Vacuo kingdom emblem tattooed at the top of his right arm. His Dreadlocks bounced with his movements, gold beads capping the ends of most of them. "I like your style, what's your name?"</p><p>"Neela Xiao Long," Neela stated, still trying to read him. His eyes grew wide and he took a step back.</p><p>"No. No way!" He declared. He looked back at Orin who nodded. "You and Orin tore it up! It's too bad we had to miss it. Glad we get to train together." He slid over to Titus and sized him up. "Who are you, man?"</p><p>"Titus Prasinos," Titus answered with his chest out.</p><p>"Oh, you're the one that Nat's got the hots for," Xavier noted. Natalia turned away, hiding behind Orin.</p><p>"What did you expect when you told that to the two of them?" Orin questioned.</p><p>"That so?" Titus asked with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>"Hell yeah," Xavier declared. "Unless I've got the wrong Titus."</p><p>"I'm the real deal," Titus assured him.</p><p>"Nice," Xavier stated. He moved to Ilia.</p><p>"I see you're from Vacuo," Ilia noted.</p><p>"What of it?" Xavier asked.</p><p>"I am too," she explained.</p><p>"Awesome!" He shouted. "We've already got something in common and I don't even know your name yet."</p><p>"Ilia Cherny," she told him.</p><p>"Good name," He replied, staring at her and spacing out.</p><p>"She's got a boyfriend," Titus coughed. Xavier glanced at Titus and then back at Ilia, putting his hands up and taking a step back.</p><p>"What? No, I didn't…" He stuttered. He turned to Ilia. "I'm sorry if I came off that way, I did <em>not</em> mean it like that at all."</p><p>"You okay?" Titus leaned over and asked Neela.</p><p>"Why wouldn't I be?" Neela questioned.</p><p>"Ilia's getting all the attention," Titus chuckled. Neela shoved him.</p><p>"I'd only be interested in one of them, and it sounds like 'she's got the hots for you, man'," Neela mimicked.</p><p>"I'm not so sure," Titus replied.</p><p>"The way she chased you down would suggest otherwise," Neela pointed out.</p><p>"We're just good friends," Titus assured Neela. Neela shook her head.</p><p>"Like Eliana and I were?" Neela asked coyly. Titus smirked and crossed his arms.</p><p>"You know, as much as I love seeing you out of the doldrums, you're being quite smug as of late," Titus told her. She waved him off.</p><p>"Me? Pfft… no…" Neela insisted.</p><p>"That's everyone then," Glynda interrupted Neela. "I hope you all spend the rest of the day becoming acquainted, Coco will have a Field Instructor and Mission picked out for both of you tomorrow. I trust that Team NITE will learn a lot from Team ONYX."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>They seem like quite the crew for NITE to work with. Next week, Chapter 12: Prayer!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Prayer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yang and Blaker have Violet over for dinner, and Team FADE head to the mall for some shopping!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Dinner is almost ready, is Sissy going to be here soon?" Shadow asked as she paced impatiently around the kitchen in the cabin, perching on the step stool next to the stove periodically to check on the state of the food. Blake rubbed her forehead as she checked her scroll, setting it back down on the counter before sighing, over-exaggerated so that Yang would ask her what was going on.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Yang questioned like Blake knew she would.</p><p>"It looks like Neela won't be coming," Blake noted. Shadow leapt down from the stool and grappled Blake's shirt.</p><p>"What?!" Shadow yelled at her.</p><p>"Titus texted me to let me know that Neela passed out in the dorm while doing homework," Blake explained. Shadow looked hurt as she sulked away and Yang chased her down.</p><p>"I wanted to see Sissy," Shadow whimpered.</p><p>"I know you did, but like the last time she came to visit she's pushing herself way too hard and has a lot on her plate," Yang explained. "She is getting better though." Shadow folded her arms.</p><p>"She should try relaxing sometimes," Shadow suggested. Yang nodded.</p><p>"I agree with you there, Kitten," Yang concurred.</p><p>"Shadow, come help me set the table!" Blake called for her. Shadow perked up slightly and headed over.</p><p>"Okay," she said, grabbing a stack of plates from her mom and placing them in front of the seats. Her ears twitched, sure she heard someone at the door and a knock came a moment later.</p><p>"I'll get it," Yang said making her way through the living room and letting them in. "Violet, so glad you could make it." Violet chuckled and stepped in, letting Yang close the door behind her as she hung her light jacket up by the door.</p><p>"I wasn't doing much, and it's always nice seeing the three of you," Violet replied.</p><p>"Hi, Elli's mom!" Shadow greeted her loudly, rushing over. "Is Elli coming back soon?" Violet frowned and knelt to make herself the same height as Shadow.</p><p>"I don't know," Violet assured her. "All we can do at this point is hope and pray." Shadow nodded as Violet stood back up.</p><p>"Dinner's ready," Blake noted. They all took their respective spots at the table and sat down, Shadow already happily chewing on her roast.</p><p>"Can I say a prayer over the meal first?" Violet inquired. Blake and Yang looked at each other with a smile and slight shrug.</p><p>"Of course," Yang agreed. Violet bowed her head and folded her hands, closing her eyes as Yang and Blake held hands and closed theirs, leaving Shadow to stop chewing her food slowly and watching them in wonder.</p><p>"Dear Oum, please bless the food we are about to eat. Everything good in life is on account of your graciousness," Violet stated. With that, it was over. Violet gave and nod and Blake and Yang both looked at Shadow who appeared dumbfounded, sitting in silence for a long couple of minutes as everyone else began eating.</p><p>"What was that?" Shadow asked.</p><p>"What was what, Sweetie?" Yang replied.</p><p>"What Miss Violet said," Shadow clarified. Violet laughed lightly as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.</p><p>"I said a prayer," Violet noted. "It helps with your troubles and worries if you have faith and let someone else take care of them for you. It's worked wonders for me in the past, like when Yang and Blake came over with Neela." Violet winked and Shadow's eyes lit up as she nodded and scarfed down her food.</p><p>"Shadow!" Blake scolded her.</p><p>"It's fine! I'm chewing it, see?" Shadow argued, opening her mouth. Blake looked away and Yang laughed, not helping the situation as Violet chuckled with her and continued enjoying her meal. Another few moments in silence and small talk was followed by Shadow slamming down her silverware as she finished and throwing her hand up in the air.</p><p>"Yes, Kitten?" Yang inquired.</p><p>"Can I be excused?" Shadow blurted out.</p><p>"Sure," Yang dismissed her. Shadow scrambled off towards her bedroom as the rest of them finished their meal.</p><p>"It was nice seeing you, Miss Violet," Shadow called back. Blake shook her head.</p><p>"She's too full of energy sometimes," Blake noted.</p><p>"She's fine," Violet replied. "I remember Eliana at that age." After a few minutes they had eaten to their heart's content and Yang showed Violet to the door as Blake had snuck off to check on Shadow.</p><p>"Thank you for having me over tonight. Be sure to let Blake know I thought the food was great," Violet insisted.</p><p>"Will do. You know, if you want we can do this on the weekends more often. Shadow likes it here more than at the apartment and I'm guessing it can get kinda lonely at your place," Yang stated with a smile.</p><p>"I've kinda grown to keep myself busy with little things around the house so I don't think about it as much," Violet chuckled. "But I wouldn't object to some company every now and then. We could even alternate and take turns making meals."</p><p>"That sounds like a great idea!" Yang beamed. They hugged each other saying their goodbyes, Violet made it a ways down the path as Yang remembered one last thing she wanted to ask. "Violet! One last thing!"</p><p>"What is it dear?" Violet asked, making her way back towards the cabin. Yang debated whether she should pry about it or not before deciding it was fine.</p><p>"Have you… heard from Elli? If you don't want to talk about this is fine I just- " Yang began.</p><p>"It's fine, Yang," Violet cut her off. "I've gotten the odd text here or there and one phone call but I can tell it's mostly in a moment of weakness. She doesn't want to think about Vale at all. Likely the easiest way for her to not bring back up the memory of what happened."</p><p>"I just…" Yang stammered. "I don't know what else we can do to let her know we are not upset with her and don't hold it against her. She was put in an impossible situation. That wasn't her fault." Violet nodded.</p><p>"I think she knows, deep down," Violet informed her. She began heading down the path once more. "I think she just needs to forgive herself!" Yang nodded, closing the door and heading back into the house as she exhaled loudly. Yang made her way up the steps towards Blake and Shadow, calling out for her wife to figure out just where they were.</p><p>"Blake!?" Yang shouted. "Blakey!?" As Yang reached the top of the steps Blake grappled her, placing a finger to Yang's lips as they crept back towards Shadow's room. They watched the girl race about her room, grabbing stuffed animals and placing them next to her as she climbed up her dresser with the assistance of a clone and pulled down Neela's picture, setting it in front of her.</p><p>"Mr. Beowulf and Mr. Ursa, you can pray with me too," Shadow insisted. "Um… Mr. Oum, sir… or whoever you are. I don't know if you can hear me but if you can, I have to ask you something. My Sissy is really cool, but she has been really sad ever since Elli went away and now she's always tired and sick. If you can bring back Elli somehow, I know that would fix everything. Neela likes Eliana, a lot, like how my Mommy Blake loves Mommy Yang. So, I guess that's it. Thank you." Shadow opened her eyes again, reaching out and hugging the pic of Neela. "It'll get better Sissy, I promise."</p><hr/><p>Eliana stepped foot into the only mall that could be found in Haven's upper level and was immediately blown away by the number of people and how amazing everything looked and smelt. The first wing was long and sprawling, a fountain greeting them first thing, the same goddess that was found inside of the school under the headmaster's office could be found here, standing in the middle of the water and holding a lamp from which the water poured out into the pool below her. Eliana had been to the mall on one of the lower levels before, her family had never really had more money than they needed to get by, so there was never a need to visit the shops at the bottom, nor the mall of the wealthy at the top, but here she was, feeling out of place as couples and high schoolers walked quickly past her, occasionally glancing at her, making her feel like she didn't belong. Desirae laughed as she threw her hands out and spun around, Eliana had to assume that it was her first time in the mall as well, seeming far too excited, even for Desirae. Asher sighed, startling Eliana who wasn't aware of the fact that he was standing right next to her.</p><p>"I don't want to be here any longer than I have to be," he groaned as he walked over to Desirae and forced her to put her hands down. "If you're causing a scene as soon as Fade gets here, she's going to go off, and it's way too early in the day for that." Desirae stared at him for a long moment before she smiled and nodded happily, skipping around to the other side of the fountain and sighing happily as Eliana walked over to join her.</p><p>"Just imagine being able to shop here on a regular basis!" Desirae exclaimed excitedly, her eyes lighting up as she absorbed all of the information that was coming in from all around her. "What I wouldn't give to come here again!" Eliana looked at her, confused by what Desirae meant by that. Desirae caught her gaze and laughed. "You look like you've been taken off guard, Eliana."</p><p>"I didn't quite understand what you meant by that last comment," Eliana explained. Desirae exhaled, her smile nearly faltering for a moment.</p><p>"I guess if you've never lived in the slums it's hard to know why this would be so exciting," Desirae noted.</p><p>"I didn't know you were from the slums!" Eliana shouted.</p><p>"It's fine!" Desirae laughed. "I might not have been as successful in the fighting ring down there as The Maniac, but they never kept me down." Eliana found it hard to believe that both Tawney and this girl had come from the slums and taken part in the fighting rings. "I wanted nothing more than to make it here. To the academy. To be one of the wealthy. And look! Now I'm standing in one of their malls! Most people hated those in the upper class, claiming it was their fault we had life so bad, but all I wanted was to be like them. They had lavish parties, and beautiful clothes, and… unspeakable wonders contained within their malls!"</p><p>"Well, I'm glad you finally made it," Eliana told her. Desirae smiled and nodded.</p><p>"Thanks!" Desirae exclaimed. "I can't help but be excited all the time, I'm just glad to leave that old life behind me!"</p><p>"How'd you make it out?" Eliana inquired.</p><p>"Didn't I say?" Desirae pondered as she looked at the ground for a moment and tried to recall everything she'd just said. "Anyways, it was…"</p><p>"Well, you three are here early," Fade noted as she entered the building, smiling as she threw her hair back out of her face. Despite the fact that fall was well underway, she wore a black bikini top with jean shorts that were just long enough to cover her butt, peering over her sunglasses at Eliana with a smirk. "Well, at least none of you were late."</p><p>"Isn't it a little late in the year to be wearing something like that?" Desirae asked her.</p><p>"Is it a crime to want to look nice?" Fade asked pouting a bit which seemed out of character to Eliana but she dismissed it. Desirae waved her arms.</p><p>"No! You can dress however you want, Fade! You look great, really!" Desirae fired back as Asher walked around the fountain to join them, hiding his face with his hair more than usual.</p><p>"What do you think, Elli?" Fade asked. Eliana froze at the name… it was the first time that any of them had called her that and where she had been feeling the regret she felt a strange and comforting warmth at the use. A smile tugged at her lips and she blushed, though she tried to hide it. No, she couldn't be smitten with this girl, someday she'd return to Neela, right? However, the sensation of suspense and Eliana's breath catching as her heart thundered in her chest was an enjoyable kind of anxiety that she'd never felt before.</p><p>"I think it suits you," Eliana chose to tell her. Fade smiled.</p><p>"I'm glad you agree," Fade told her. "And besides…"</p><p>"Is that Fade?!" someone yelled from a store nearby. Several others turned to look as well, rushing out from where they were shopping to meet the girl.</p><p>"You look amazing today!" One of the guys that came up told her. She winked at him and posed for them as they took pictures, Asher placing himself behind Eliana and Desirae as more people gathered. Then it clicked with Eliana. He was a Faunus… he was probably just as scared as that woman she'd saved from the outskirts the other night. Eliana felt flush with aggravation, she needed that meeting with Stratford. In fact, that was why they were at the mall.</p><p>"I wouldn't want my adoring fans to see my bad side, would I?" Fade asked as she chuckled.</p><p>"Are you ready for the Vytal Festival later this year?" One girl asked who was too shy to push her way to the front of the crowd.</p><p>"I've been ready since the beginning of last year, and you can all be sure that my teammates have been working just as hard. I have been pushing them to make sure they're at peak performance when the tournament rolls around," Fade explained.</p><p>"Do you think you'll become the head of the council one day?" Came another shout from the back.</p><p>"Alright, this has been fun, but I think I'm ready to shop now," Fade declared as she began pushing through them.</p><p>"Wait!" Someone yelled attempting to grab her. She snatched her hand away as more people gathered instead of disbanding. "What about the last question?" Fade looked flustered.</p><p>"I… I'm ready to go now, please," she demanded.</p><p>"Eliana," Desirae spoke sternly. Eliana looked at the girl, her face was washed over with concern, it was the first time Eliana had seen her like that. "We need to back them off, now." Eliana looked back at Fade, her eyes darting around as she began to tremble.</p><p>"As long as one of them is holding on to her, there's nothing that I can do to push them back without someone losing a limb," Eliana explained.</p><p>"I'll do it," Asher spoke. Eliana looked back at him as he pushed past the two of them. He opened his mouth, a strange ear-piercing scream tearing through the air, dropping everyone to their knees as they covered their ears, including Eliana and Desirae, even though the latter knew it was coming. Asher stopped, walking through the crowd that looked dazed and confused, grabbing Fade's hand. She flinched before looking up at him, giving him a subtle nod as he pulled her out.</p><p>"Thank you," she mouthed.</p><p>"I figured ringing ears was better than injuries," Asher told her.</p><p>"What the hell!?" One of them yelled as they began to figure out what happened. Two of them charged for them before being stopped by a barrier by Eliana.</p><p>"Leave her alone," Eliana instructed. A few of the guys waved them off in disdain as another flipped them off before the entire group broke up and went back to what they were doing.</p><p>"Thanks," Fade said to Elaina. She shook her head.</p><p>"Don't mention it. Quite the celebrity, huh?" Eliana asked her.</p><p>"I am the best student at Haven after all," Fade pointed out. Asher snorted.</p><p>"So you keep telling us," he replied.</p><p>"Are we shopping for anything specific today?" Desirae asked.</p><p>"Eliana offered to buy me something nice," Fade noted with a smile at the girl, looking quite pleased with herself.</p><p>"Eliana offered?" Asher asked. "In return for what?"</p><p>"A meeting with Stratford," Eliana replied without missing a beat. Fade chuckled as Asher shook his head.</p><p>"But you could buy half the mall with your own money," Desirae pointed out. Fade gave her a stern look and Desirae shrank away like a dog that had been yelled at.</p><p>"Sounds like extortion to me," Asher noted.</p><p>"It's fine," Eliana pointed out. Asher and Desirae looked at her. "Anything that gets me a meeting with Stratford."</p><p>"She's learning much faster than our last teammate," Fade laughed as she hooked her arm around Eliana's, causing the girl to pause for a moment in confusion. Fade dragged her along. "Come on, Eliana. I have a pretty good idea of what you can buy me." Asher and Desirae took up the rear, Asher shaking his head.</p><p>"It's like she always says," Asher sighed. "She always gets what she wants."</p><p>"I mean, we do owe her a lot," Desirae reminded Asher. He nodded.</p><p>"But Eliana doesn't," Asher replied. "I get the feeling this won't end well. Maybe not right away, but at some point."</p><p>"Are you two coming?" Fade asked beaming at them. Asher shook his head and slunk along faster, Desirae close by as they passed through the masses. Fade stopped outside of an expensive-looking jewelry store and laughed as she raised an arm as if to show it off to Eliana. "This is the place."</p><p>"Does it have to be from here?" Eliana asked her. Fade pouted and traced her foot on the floor.</p><p>"It doesn't have to be anything expensive," Fade explained.</p><p>"Is there anything that isn't expensive here?" Asher asked.</p><p>"Maybe a cheaper necklace or pair of earrings," Fade noted sounding annoyed at Asher. Eliana scanned the store from the corridor before noting a flyer next to the door that she scanned over. Her eyes widened and she rushed to it, nearly ripping it off of the wall.</p><p>"No way!" Eliana exclaimed. "He's coming out of retirement to go on tour?!"</p><p>"Who?" Desirae asked.</p><p>"The Apex!" Eliana shouted. They all stared at her confused and she did her best to suspend her disbelief. "Kendrick "Apex" Rigel? Nothing?!"</p><p>"You mean the old celebrity huntsman from Vacuo?" Desirae inquired.</p><p>"I wouldn't say old, he's probably not any older than 30, if even," Eliana noted. "He was the youngest hunstmen to become a celebrity, even younger than the Grimm Reaper! Not to mention, he has more unique Grimm species kills than any other huntsman! He must be getting ready to hunt for another Camazotz!"</p><p>"The bat thing that they found at your old school?" Asher asked.</p><p>"Yes!" Eliana declared. "I bet that means he'll be heading to Vale, Neela will be so excited!"</p><p>"You know," Fade said, rolling her eyes and staring at the flyer. "For someone who lights up your eyes, you don't talk about her much." Eliana glanced at Fade before her joy faded. "What's so great about this Neela girl?"</p><p>"She's the best huntress I've ever known," Eliana told her, glaring at the girl before pushing past her into the store, Fade pausing for a moment to maintain composure.</p><p>"There has to be more to it than that, I can tell," Fade muttered.</p><p>"Drop it, Fade," Asher insisted. "You said that she gave off bad psionic energy when you asked her before, this is not the place that we want you to have an episode." Fade waved him off and headed into the store after Eliana.</p><p>"Have something in mind?" Eliana asked her.</p><p>"I do," Fade informed her. "But… I think it would mean more if you chose something for me." Eliana looked at the girl, wondering what she was playing at, but she had to keep her goal in mind. Stratford needed to know what was happening with Faunus on the outskirts of Haven.</p><p>"How about this?" Eliana asked holding a necklace up to her and Fade stared at it.</p><p>"You didn't put much thought into it…" Fade replied disappointed.</p><p>"Fade…" Asher began. Eliana sighed.</p><p>"It's fine," Eliana insisted again. She browsed the selection once again that seemed 'cheap' and picked out a gaudy-looking diamond necklace that screamed look at me as much as Fade did. It was going to cost her nearly half of a paycheck, but she knew she needed that meeting. She smiled, holding it up to Fade's neck, and looked her in the eyes. "Perfect!" Fade blushed slightly, but looked away and cleared her throat.</p><p>"I suppose that will do," Fade noted. Asher shook his head.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What is Fade's angle? Next week, Chapter 13: Attack!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Attack</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>NITE and ONYX are sent out on their first mission together, but how does it turn out?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Seriously," Eren began complaining. "What good is it going to do us to sit in a damn van and watch them fight? We should be in there with them!" He shook his head and crossed his arms, kicking his feet up on one of the consoles and grumbling.</p><p>"Stay put," Neela told him as she double-checked the back window to make sure that no one was out there.</p><p>"You want us to give you a play by play and walk you through what we're thinking or…?" Nat asked.</p><p>"I think watching will be more than sufficient enough," Titus sighed. She laughed over the comms.</p><p><em>Suit yourselves, </em>Orin replied. It was a fairly standard location that they'd been sent to under the cover of night to help Emerald to collect her intel. She was to sneak into the warehouse where they were meeting, Stardust's 'premier' members were meeting and discussing their upcoming plans, which included the location of Blood's lab if she remembered her briefing correctly. They were meeting in the foreman's office, which was putting it lightly from the pictures that Emerald had seen, it looked more like it had been renovated into a business lounge of sorts.</p><p>"You kids ready?" Emerald asked them.</p><p>"This ain't nothing," Xavier told her.</p><p>"We'll be fine," Yin insisted. "I'm assuming that you want us to wait to start the party until after you get the info." Emerald looked at him for a long moment. "Up to you?"</p><p>"Is he joking?" Emerald asked Orin.</p><p>"He does a lot of that, but he's not right now," Orin answered. "We could easily clear the warehouse and be out before you're even finished with the meeting, without a single interruption."</p><p>"Really?" Emerald inquired.</p><p>"They're easily the best third-year team we've got," Coco told Emerald over the comms. "You should get going, that meeting is starting soon." Emerald nodded and looked at Team ONYX.</p><p>"Wait for my word," Emerald instructed.</p><p>"As you wish," Orin saluted. He looked at Yin and Xavier, undoubtedly giving them telepathic directions as they nodded back at him and moved out. Nat followed, a long, barreled grenade launcher in a sling over her shoulder resting in her palm and propped against her shoulder. Orin took to the sky, circling the building to make sure there weren't any unexpected visitors. Emerald cloaked herself with an illusion, making sure that she was undetectable as she made her way through the dock door as it was opening, a small cargo truck backing up the ramp.</p><p>"Another shipment of Dust?!" One of the goons yelled as he moved to the trailer and tossed the door open. "We're already up to our elbows in this stuff, does Mercury really need more?"</p><p>"It can't hurt," another noted. "We can sell the stuff, use it, who knows what else? Not to mention, the more that we have, the less that the huntsmen have."</p><p>"Looking good boys," Orion pointed and winked as he trotted past with Astra and Asteria on each arm. "Keep doing the good work. Salem shall bless us all eventually."</p><p>"How many times do I have to tell you to stop saying that?" Sirius groaned, taking up the rear behind them.</p><p>"Seeing as how Mercury is a little pissed after that last stunt in the club with you being drunk and whatnot, I don't really need to worry about what you think I should do," Orion laughed.</p><p>"You're both working towards the same goal, must you really fight?" Jett asked standing at the top of the steps outside of the office.</p><p>"He knows I'm kidding, right Sirius?" Orion chuckled. Sirius shoved past him, nearly knocking Astra over.</p><p>"Hey!" Astra shouted.</p><p>"Sirius, what gives?" Asteria asked. "Are you alright, Astra?"</p><p>"I'm fine, Asteria," she told her sister. "Sirius has been in a bad mood since that incident at the club."</p><p>"A terrible mood," Asteria added.</p><p>"Hey," Jett stopped Sirius on his way up the steps, planting her hand on his shoulder. "Remember what we're trying to do here. You all can't be fighting with each other."</p><p>"Get out of my way," Sirius demanded as he forced his way through.</p><p>"Aurora will be joining us today," Jett announced. Sirius stopped and looked back down at Orion.</p><p>"That seems unnecessary," Orion informed Jett.</p><p>"You guys are so mean!" A voice declared. Orion turned around to see Aurora, the 'girl' bending forward at the waist, sticking her tongue out and pulling down on her eyelid. She wore a powder blue victorian style dress with a simple ribbon around the neck, a white lace choker around the girl's neck that matched the bottom of her dress that flared out impractically. She had a matching blue ribbon at the base of each of her blonde curled twin tails, her pink eyes lighting up as she looked back at Mercury. "Master asked me to keep an eye on you guys since you've been doing so poorly recently!"</p><p>"Whose sassy lost child is this?!" Orion shouted.</p><p>"I'm not a child, I'm twenty-six years old!" Aurora shouted back.</p><p>"Don't pay them any mind," Mercury said, shaking his head and taking her hand. She was barely five feet tall wearing her short heels, beaming up at him as he walked her up the stairs. "From now on, Aurora Eos will be my right hand. Anything she says is as good as my word." She looked up at him with awe.</p><p>"Really, Master?" she inquired. He nodded. "This is the best day ever!"</p><p>"That… there's no need for that!" Sirius stated as he entered the room, the rest of them joining him within seconds.</p><p>"Master says you haven't done anything useful in months," Aurora exclaimed. "I'm going to fix that!"</p><p>"I hate everything," Orion groaned as he sat.</p><p>"But she's cute," Astra stated.</p><p>"Perhaps she could give us fashion tips?" Asteria suggested.</p><p>"Yes!" Astra declared.</p><p>"Enough!" Jett yelled closing the doors. "Save the banter for later, we have things to discuss."</p><p>"I think we should wait a minute," Aurora suggested.</p><p>"We don't have time for this," Jett groaned.</p><p>"What are we waiting for?" Sirius pried.</p><p>"Nothing, she's nothing more than a child," Orion sighed.</p><p>"Continue," Mercury told Jett. Aurora folded her arms.</p><p>"I see that another shipment of Dust showed up," Jett noted.</p><p>"As discussed before, we're using that to wipe that tech show off of the map," Mercury noted. "There's going to be a lot of big names there, so it should cut back the competition and resistance to our cause quite a bit. Nothing that several tons of Dust couldn't fix."</p><p>"And the rest is being stored at Blood's mountain, right?" Aurora asked.</p><p>"Right," Jett replied. "She's twenty miles or so to the south of Vale, she knows to be on the lookout for us once the dust settles."</p><p>"Was that meant to be a pun?" Orion asked.</p><p>"Don't be an idiot," Sirius replied, shaking his head.</p><p>"Abigor wants you to bring Aurora to the next meeting," Jett said, her attention on Mercury.</p><p>"Me?" Aurora asked.</p><p>"We need help with a situation," Jett explained. "It seems an asset got away from us somehow and we need it returned one way or another."</p><p>"Sounds like fun!" She giggled. Orion shuddered. Did she have to act so unnerving?</p><p>"And the rest of us?" Orion inquired.</p><p>"Will know what you need to know when you need to know it," Jett said.</p><p>"Kind of tired of being left in the dark," Orion grunted as he stood.</p><p>"You will be rewarded for your efforts in due time," Jett informed him as she moved towards him. "Telling any one person too much is unwise."</p><p>"What if we just left," Orion questioned. Sirius chuckled.</p><p>"We're expendable, just sit down and do as you're told," Sirius demanded. Orion glanced at him before looking back at Jett who was smirking.</p><p>"Sirius knows how it is, and besides," Jett asserted. "If you're not with us, you're against us… and you wouldn't want that."</p><p>"Yeah, sure…" Orion tapered off.</p><p>"Is this it?" Mercury asked.</p><p>"We're finished," Jett replied. Mercury and Aurora stood as the twins glanced at each other before looking at Sirius.</p><p>"We couldn't have done this over a call?" Sirius asked.</p><p>"We could have, but I like checking in to make sure that everything is as it should be," Jett informed him.</p><p>"We have a situation out here!" Shouted one of the men out in the warehouse.</p><p>"Go!" Mercury yelled at them. Sirius and Orion hesitated. "Go!"</p><p>"Who is it?" Aurora asked.</p><p>"Probably those damn huntsmen from the school," Mercury noted as he stood as well, joining Jett as they made their way to the door. "Aurora, you stay here for now."</p><p>"Yes, Master," she replied as he left and closed the door. She leapt to her feet and stretched before giggling. "You can come out now, they're gone. You must be that girl that Master told me about. He said that you were really good at illusions." Emerald made herself visible, standing on the far side of the room, preparing to leave as she stared at the girl.</p><p>"Why didn't you tell them I was here?" Emerald asked.</p><p>"That would have spoiled all of our fun, wouldn't it?" Aurora questioned. Emerald tilted her head slightly before the girl cloned herself, the replica seemed to be made of strange waves of light, and the original wielded a meteor hammer, swinging it gently in front of her. "Come on then, let's have some fun!"</p><hr/><p>"Eren!" Ilia shouted as Titus caught her before she could leap out of the back of the van to stop him. No sooner had Emerald left than Eren had bolted, running right for the building and completely disregarding everything that they had been told to do. "Titus, we have to stop him!"</p><p>"And risk our grades too? Fat chance!" Titus replied. Neela pressed her earpiece against her ear.</p><p>"Coco, Eren is AWOL," Neela told her instructor. Coco sighed.</p><p>"Of course he is," Coco shouted. "I'll be there in a couple of minutes. If things get out of hand I want Team NITE to move in. Team ONYX, get in there. Minimize any damage and arousal of suspicion that Eren might cause."</p><p>"Got it!" Yin shouted.</p><p>"Now? Really?!" Xavier inquired.</p><p><em>You three are up! </em>Orin instructed.</p><p>"Go time!" Nat hollered. Xavier grabbed the two of them and phased through the roof, landing on the floor below behind a few men that were keeping watch over one of the side exits. Yin activated his semblance, placing a silencing effect on the area around them as Nat blasted the two of them away quickly with her gun.</p><p><em>No killing, Talia, </em>Orin reminded her.</p><p><em>They're not dead, </em>she replied, <em>what fun are Atlesian paralyzing rounds if they don't have some kick to them? </em>Xavier motioned with his head towards another high rise of pallets, two men could be heard talking on the other side of them. Yin nodded, jogging over with him as Nat kept a lookout and made sure no one spotted them, nodding to them that the coast was still clear. Xavier did several handsprings, stopping short of the stack as he tossed Yin up and gave him the thumbs up. Yin switched his semblance back on and Xavier walked around the corner, the two men spotting him and aiming at him. He threw his hands up, speaking to them but his voice was canceled out. The two men prepared to yell at him before noting the same was happening to them. They looked back up to see he was gone before one of them was kicked in the jaw, the other looked down to shoot him but Xavier twisted his body around, kicking the gun out of his hands before Nat arrived and threw him to the ground, knocking him out with a blow to the head.</p><p>"I was just trying to ask where the bathroom is," Xavier chuckled.</p><p><em>Visual on Eren?</em> Nat questioned.</p><p><em>I've made a couple of passes now and haven't seen him… which can't be a good sign, </em>Orin noted.</p><p><em>You'll probably hear him before you see him,</em> Titus added.</p><p><em>That's what we're afraid of, </em>Orin replied. Orin landed in the middle of his teammates and flipped his staff into its rifle mode. <em>Perhaps you should disable him with your paralysis rounds if we see him.</em></p><p><em>Keyword is if, </em>Natalia noted. As anticipated, before ONYX could round the corner into the next segment of the warehouse, an explosion took out one of the loading dock doors and drew the attention of every member of the gang within the building.</p><p>"Tired of sitting around and not doing anything!" Eren shouted.</p><p>"I'm gonna kill him," Natalia said as she cracked her knuckles.</p><p>"Maybe wait until after we're finished so we don't have to keep track of the body," Xavier suggested.</p><p>"I guess stealth is out then," Yin groaned.</p><p>"We got this," Xavier reassured his teammates. "Need us?" Orin fired at a few of the guards that were making their way over before flipping out his staff and flying towards the action at the front of the building.</p><p>"Do what you feel is necessary, but wait for my word to regroup," Orin called back.</p><p>"Yes!" Xavier cheered. "Let's go, Yin!"</p><p>"Right behind you," Yin insisted. "Nat?" He nodded towards the two empty storage freights behind him and she smirked, tossing him up as Xavier phased through, nailing one of the men on the other side in the jaw. He threw his hands up.</p><p>"Don't shoot! Look up there!" Xavier instructed.</p><p>"Do I look like some kind of idiot to you?" The guard asked. Yin leapt down from above, clubbing him on the top of the head. He dropped hard.</p><p>"I mean… from up here, yeah," Xavier replied.</p><p>"Come on!" Yin told Xavier.</p><p><em>Team NITE, come in! </em>Orin called.</p><p>"We're here… but we're not happy," Ilia replied.</p><p>"More accurately, Neela is not happy," Titus corrected.</p><p>"Can you carry him back to the van so we can lock him in somehow?" Neela grumbled.</p><p>"We have a situation out here!" Shouted one of the men out in the warehouse.</p><p>"It might be a little late for that…" Ilia noted.</p><p>"Who is in charge around here?!" Eren shouted smashing and blasting through everything in his way.</p><p>"That would be us," Mercury announced from the stairs as he made his descent with Jett behind him.</p><p><em>Is Jett with him? </em>Coco asked.</p><p>"It looks like it," Neela replied.</p><p><em>Be careful, </em>Coco instructed. <em>She can steal semblances or something to that effect.</em></p><p>"Well then," Eren chuckled. "I gotta kick your asses to make a statement then." Sirius moved in to attack Eren as he dispersed through the building with the twins and Orion.</p><p>"No!" Mercury yelled. Sirius slid to a stop and looked back up at him. "Leave him for us."</p><p>"Eren!" Neela shouted. Orion and Sirius approached them, Orion using a blast of gravity from his shield to push them back.</p><p>"I think you kids should let them settle that, and we can have some fun ourselves," Orion stated.</p><p>"Isn't it past your bedtimes?" Sirius asked.</p><p>"Isn't it time you stopped losing to a bunch of high schoolers?" Ilia asked. Sirius pulled the bone weapon into two separate short swords.</p><p>"I'll take Neela," Sirius insisted.</p><p>"We're on a first-name basis?" Neela asked. Sirius growled.</p><p>"Enough talk!" He shouted as he charged her and put her on the defensive for the moment.</p><p>"You good?" Ilia asked dodging Orion by leaping into Titus.</p><p>"I'll be fine, one of you get to Eren! Coco said to stay clear of Jett," Neela instructed dancing back away from Sirius's attacks.</p><p>"Fight me already!" He demanded. Neela flipped out her bow, catching both blades with it, and threw herself forward with enough force to plant him onto his back. She drew an arrow, firing to his left as he rolled to the right and found his feet with an assist from his weapon which now took the form of a glaive. He swung it around over his head, clashing with Neela's sword as the two of them struggled against each other for a long moment.</p><p>"I just can't believe you guys haven't been caught yet, my sister puts up a better fight," Neela jested.</p><p>"And perhaps I don't want to be known as the man who killed a student at Beacon," Sirius suggested, catching the arrow that had dislodged itself and flown for him. "I'm not sure how you did that, but I'm impressed."</p><p>"Like you guys care if you kill us or not," Neela spat.</p><p>"Do you understand what it means to lull your enemy into a false sense of security?" He asked blocking another swing from her sword.</p><p>"You mean like the fact that you're holding the anchor arrow now?" Neela asked. An arrow struck him the back, before they'd made it out of the office she had fired an arrow into one of the building's support beams, waiting for him to align himself between the two. She shrugged, kicking him in the chest as he stumbled a few steps and reached back to remove it. It was a clean blow, taking more of his aura than it should have and he stepped back.</p><p>"I'm done playing," he insisted.</p><p>"But I'm just getting started," she said with a smirk.</p><p><em>Titus, Ilia. Making progress? </em>Neela asked as she was given a moment.</p><p>"Depends on how you define progress," Titus noted. Ilia leapt out slicing at Orion who blocked one again and threw her back, leaving him open as Titus charged in. He activated the gravity in his shield, effectively stopping Titus who quickly planned his next move. "We've got to try something else!"</p><p>"I know!" Ilia shouted at him. She rushed in to attack, Orion holding up his hand and blinding her with a flash of light. She stumbled towards him, taking a heel to the chin and careening away as Titus slammed his kopides into the ground, creating a dome around Orion.</p><p>"That won't hold him for long!" Titus shouted. "I'm going to get Eren!"</p><p>"Not likely," Orion said, slamming into Titus from the side. Titus bounced once, sliding the rest of the way to Ilia before coming to a stop at her feet.</p><p>"When…?" Titus began. Ilia helped him up.</p><p>"I'm not sure," she noted. Orion chuckled.</p><p>"You think you kids are the only ones who ever pushed hard enough to get your semblances to the next level?" Orion asked. "What are they teaching you at Beacon these days?"</p><p><em>Neela, where's Eren? Please tell me he's not fighting Jett… </em>Coco pled.</p><p><em>Then don't ask…? </em>Neela replied.</p><p>"You think I can't take both of you?" Eren barked as Jett and Mercury reached the bottom of the steps.</p><p>"I can make quick work of him," Jett insisted.</p><p>"Let him have some fun first," Mercury laughed. "Kid, you've got a lot to learn about life if you think you're going to take us down and leave like some kind of hero."</p><p>"And here I thought you just hid all the time because you're weak," Eren noted, removing his gun from the holster. Mercury gritted his teeth.</p><p>"By all means," Jett said. "After you." He cracked his neck and hopped slightly before taking off quickly across the room towards Eren who took two steps forward and fired at Mercury. Mercury front flipped over the first shot with ease, spinning through the air at an alarming speed and taking Eren off guard as his boot met the gun. He kicked it down, landing and instantly bringing up his opposite foot to kick Eren in the temple, tearing away some of his aura.</p><p>"All brawn and no brains, huh?" Mercury gawfed. "Too bad your friends are busy…"</p><p>"I don't need their help," Eren insisted, using his semblance to blast himself back towards Mercury. Mercury attempted a leaping kick and blasted at the boy who used his semblance at the same time, leaving them both sliding backward. "You can only rely on yourself."</p><p>"So you do have street smarts," Mercury noted. He rushed in again, faking a kick to cause Eren to use his semblance before kicking him in the chest, snatching his knife away simultaneously as he tried to unsheath it. Mercury tossed it away, pushing him further back with repeated kicks. "But you're still pretty stupid."</p><p>"That so?" Eren asked. He fired his gun into the air blindly, bringing down a light fixture above them that crashed in between them. Eren broke the chain off, swinging it around and catching Mercury's leg as he channeled his semblance into the chain. It exploded, tossing Mercury back and Eren was already on him by the time he landed.</p><p>"You're quicker than I would have thought," Mercury offered.</p><p>"Are we finished here?" Jett inquired annoyed. "We have somewhere we need to be still tonight, and I'm slowly losing my patience."</p><p>"We'll get there," Mercury grunted as he blasted Eren back again. "Lighten up, would ya?"</p><p>"I'd rather leave before the Huntsmen and Huntresses show up!" Jett yelled at him.</p><p>"They're nothing to worry about," Mercury insisted. Eren came in hard, Mercury leaping over him as he did and twisting through the air, bringing a foot down into his shoulder and slamming him into the concrete floor. Eren's aura fizzled. "I'm impressed. You still have a little left in you." Mercury looked up at Jett. "Take it."</p><p>"I'll do more than that," Jett informed him. Jett gripped Eren's arm tightly, his semblance transferring to her and nullified in him for the time being. "Any last words? Perhaps in your next life, you won't take Salem's chosen so lightly."</p><p>"Neela!" Titus shouted. Neela glanced up to see what was happening.</p><p>"Skipping stones!" Neela yelled back at him as she fired her grapple.</p><p>"I hate that attack name!" He thundered as he turned to stone and gripped her claw, pulling her through the chaos and launching her at Jett. Neela screamed through the air, her bowstring catching Jett's arm and nearly breaking it as she landed and pulled the woman over her hunched body. Jett slammed against the stairs with a thud, screeching in pain as Neela turned to Mercury, flipping her bow into its sword form. Before Mercury could kick her Jett had somehow moved and blasted Neela down the steps, throwing her onto her back a few feet from Eren.</p><p>"If it isn't Neela Xiao Long…" Jett huffed in pain as she completely stood. "We heard about what you did to Athena."</p><p>"That was my grandmother," Neela groaned as she stood.</p><p>"Not in the cafeteria," Jett chuckled softly. Somehow Neela could imagine the evil grin that had spread across the masked woman's face.</p><p>"Then you should know, it'd be better for you not to fight me," Neela stated, checking on Eren. "You all right?" She extended her hand but he smacked it away.</p><p>"Leave me alone," he growled leaping up without help. He grunted, clearly in pain.</p><p>"Stubborn one isn't he?" Jett asked looking at the bruise on her arm that had formed despite her aura still being partially intact. "No, I'm going to fight you. The way I see it, I just need to touch you and it's all over, what with being able to see moves before they happen? That is how it works, right?"</p><p>"And maybe it's nothing more than quicker reflexes," Neela suggested. <em>Guys, some help?</em></p><p>"Still sounds useful," Jett said walking down the steps.</p><p><em>Keep them busy for just a bit longer, </em>Coco instructed. <em>Orin, can you add Jaune to the telepathic link?</em></p><p><em>As much as I would love to, you've got me spread pretty thin as it is,</em> Orin explained. <em>But we can get over there to help Neela, right?</em></p><p>"On it!" Natalia shouted rushing past Orion who teleported in between her and her target in a flash of light. "I don't know that that's where you want to be standing."</p><p>"Try me," Orion boasted. She sighed and swung her real arm, using her semblance to give the hit an added kick and it slammed against his shield, causing them both to slide back. She smirked.</p><p>"Silly me," she chuckled, throwing her gun away as she charged in with inhuman speed, transferring her semblance to her mechanical arm at the last second and denting his shield. The gravity Dust had no way of escaping from the front and instead launched him backward into a stack of crates, spilling lien everywhere. "Yin, Xavier!"</p><p>"We got you!" Xavier shouted as they rushed past only to be met by the twins. Orin shook his head as he flew over them, but was slammed into the ground as Sirius caught him by the wings with his weapon. Orin leapt to his feet, firing at the man who was forced to move to cover. Yin crashed into Orin as Xavier phased through them. "Tougher than they look, man."</p><p>"Come on!" Natalia demanded as she dragged them both up by the arm. "This is nothing."</p><p>"I don't remember them putting up much of a fight for NITE," Orin said. "Or atleast the briefing files didn't indicate much of one."</p><p>"They seem stronger," Ilia noted as she approached them. "It's almost strange."</p><p><em>Everyone still okay, I lost you there for a moment, </em>Coco inquired.</p><p><em>We're fine, but these guys are putting up a better fight than last time,</em> Titus informed her.</p><p><em>Stick with ONYX, you all should be fine, though you have to find a way to Neela, I don't think she can handle Jett alone. Also, has anyone seen Emerald?</em> Coco questioned.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Is Emerald in over her head? Is NITE? Next week, Chapter 14: Obsessed!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Obsessed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Last week's battle continues!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Master told me that you weren't as good as me, but I thought maybe he was still bitter about something that had happened in the past," Aurora pointed out. "He said that the two of you used to work together for Salem, but you betrayed them for some reason."</p><p>"I decided to do what I thought was best for me," Emerald explained. "I had to watch out for myself."</p><p>"Oh," Aurora giggled. "It doesn't matter to me. What matters is that Master told me I could do whatever I wanted today. He figured that you'd all show up, but he didn't expect that you'd be in the room listening. I suppose you probably already told your friends where Blood is, huh?"</p><p>"You did know I'd be here, didn't you?" Emerald asked. Aurora shrugged.</p><p>"I'm bored of talking, let's fight," Aurora insisted. Emerald turned to leave but the ball and chain from Aurora's weapon wrapped around her ankle and pulled her off of her feet. Emerald grunted in pain as Aurora pulled her in and swung the second ball for Emerald's temple. Emerald deflected it with her guns at the last moment, firing at the girl. She blocked the bullets with the second weight as Emerald managed to free herself, swinging her own chain around to trap the girl and make a run for it. The attack was easily blocked, and Aurora's clone knocked Emerald away, her body slamming against the foreman's desk. "You really don't get it, do you? Your illusions don't work on me! You wanted me to see you still standing there and talking to me instead of escaping, right? Master wouldn't be happy if I didn't get to have a little bit of fun first."</p><p>"Have you had enough yet?" Emerald asked.</p><p>"What?" The clone chimed in. "You haven't even played with us yet."</p><p>"You've got to be better than this, right?" Aurora added.</p><p>"Show us what you can do," the clone pleaded.</p><p>"Besides," Aurora laughed.</p><p>"You're still by the door," they declared in unison. Emerald stared at her for a long moment before pushing up off of the desk to find everything in the room shifting, fading out like the northern lights as she was returned to the spot she'd started in. Her illusions were similar but different? Was she using her aura in tandem with hard light Dust? Emerald didn't completely understand how it worked, but she knew that she needed to get out.</p><p>"Why do you all stay with Mercury? Salem is only using you and has nothing but empty promises to show for it," Emerald explained. "She kept promising us that we'd have great power too someday if we stayed by her side, but it never happened."</p><p>"That's where you're wrong," Aurora giggled. "During Abigor's last visit, he shared with us some of Salem's power. That's why we're stronger than we were before." Emerald's mind shifted violently as she digested the words. It couldn't be. It was a scare tactic. Or it was a hoax to drag them along. Or… or it was true… It couldn't be, could it? Sure, Coco had told her what Ilia had seen at the 'ritual', but that meant that Salem either wasn't truly dead, or her power was still lingering… "If you're scared, you could always come back. I know that Master would be very happy if you did."</p><p>"Whatever they did… or she did… or whoever, she only means to use all of you before throwing you away once she's done with you!" Emerald shouted. Aurora's clone nailed Emerald in the jaw before dissipating.</p><p>"You're scared," Aurora noted as she approached Emerald. "Good. Those that get in Salem and Master's way should be scared. Master says that once Salem comes back, I'll get to rule over all of Vale with him, and we can't have anyone standing in our way." Aurora spun her meteor hammer once again, this time successfully nailing Emerald in the temple. Emerald's illusion disappeared and Aurora found herself wrapped up with Emerald's chain. "What?!"</p><p>"I guess you underestimated me after all," Emerald noted.</p><p>"No! Not fair!" Aurora screamed. She created another clone of herself as well as Mercury. Emerald slid back as the Mercury kicked at her, kneeling to allow Aurora's clone to launch off of him at Emerald who was forced to free the real Aurora to block. The two weapons tangled together before the two clones disappeared and Emerald caught the real one coming at her from behind. She pulled Aurora in, the small girl leapt and kicked Emerald in the chest, launching herself back towards the back of the room as Emerald stumbled towards the large window that watched over the warehouse.</p><p><em>Coco, can you hear me? </em>Emerald tried the telepathic link. Aurora began laughing again as she rushed Emerald, her weapon snagging Emerald's arm and throwing her to the right as the other hammer slammed into her ribs. Aurora laughed harder, starting to cause Emerald concern as she pulled back against the girl and stuck her sickles into the girl's shoulders. <em>Coco! Please!</em></p><p>"You don't even know anymore, do you?" Aurora offered as she shook her head and threw it back, laughing even harder. "You've been great for seeing just how strong my semblance is now! Do you know exactly how it works yet? Are you aware that I'm using it again right now? I have been this whole time, you've never left it since Master left the room." Emerald's mind began to shift and she felt panic setting in. What should have been a relatively easy infiltration was turning into a game of illusions with some she wasn't sure that she could beat. Was the illusion Emerald had been able to fool her with limited to Aurora's illusion or was Aurora still aware of what was going on outside of it, and that's how she knew what Emerald had planned?</p><p><em>This is bad, </em>Emerald thought. <em>I have to get out.</em></p><p>"How long will it be before your friends get here to rescue you?" Aurora questioned. "They'll have their hands full now that Master's followers are stronger. Not to mention we were expecting you to show up at some point, so there's back up on the way too. Maybe we're not even in the room anymore. Maybe you've already been detained and Master or Jett is taking you somewhere so they can interrogate you." <em>Her illusions… her illusions feel real to me… but… they wouldn't towards my own illusions! I'm bound to this illusion, but my semblance is bound to reality, I can use it to feel my way out!</em></p><p>"Maybe I don't need rescuing," Emerald noted as she looked at Aurora who disappeared from the end of her blades.</p><p>"You don't even know what's real or not! And I'm keeping an eye on you, so don't think you can fool me into thinking that double is you," Aurora scoffed. Emerald had a good idea of where the door was, she just needed to figure out how to move her real body…</p><hr/><p>"I've been waiting for this moment for a while now," Jett grunted as Neela caught her blades with the limbs of her bow before throwing the woman back. Mercury charged in, spinning around in a tight rotation before swinging his foot up for Neela's chest. She had just enough time to block it, redirecting his boot to the floor as she flipped her bow back into its sword form and knocked him away, allowing Jett back in.</p><p>"This is the best you got?" Neela asked. Out of the corner of her eye, Neela spotted Eren racing back into the fight, ignoring Neela's plans and instead asserting himself with complete disregard for his teammate. Neela planted herself, barely dodging Jett's attack as she grappled Eren and dragged him past, throwing him away from Mercury and Jett.</p><p>"What the hell!?" He shouted at her.</p><p>"If you can't learn to work with me you're just in the way!" Neela told him, firing a smoke screen arrow at Jett to give her a moment to deal with Mercury. She turned to find him coming down on her and she took the brunt of the kick to her weapon, taking a second kick to the jaw that sent her reeling backwards towards the smoke. She fired a lightning arrow that struck Mercury in the leg but seemed to have no effect.</p><p>"Didn't think I'd learn my lesson?" He asked. She shrugged.</p><p>"Just want to see the look on your face when you realize it's an arrow with multiple Dusts," she replied. The gravity exploded, removing the mechanical leg at the knee cap and knocked him onto his back as it bounced away.</p><p>"Come on!" Jett shouted through the smoke. "I want to see that semblance of yours!"</p><p>"Hard pass," Neela replied. <em>Guys… any time now…</em></p><p><em>*Mercury, we're here, but we've got company!* </em>Came a voice over Mercury's radio on his hip.</p><p>"What, Coco? No sweat, just get ready for a fight," Mercury barked back.</p><p>
  <em>*It's way more than just Coco*</em>
</p><p>"How many more?" Mercury growled as he attempted to make his way to his leg.</p><p><em>*It looks like she pulled out all the stops! It might be that entire damn school!*</em> Mercury's eyes narrowed as he frantically crawled to his leg and reattached it, watching Neela and Jett go at it.</p><p>"Jett, we've got to go!" Mercury shouted at her.</p><p>"Not yet," Jett huffed as Neela met her blow for blow. This girl could keep up without her Semblance? She knew that Abigor wanted an eye kept on her for some reason, but Jett never anticipated Neela to be this much of a natural.</p><p>"Hey!" Mercury yelled. Jett ignored him. "I <strong>will</strong> leave without you."</p><p>"Do what you have to!" Jett called back. Mercury turned towards the opening loading bay door to leave, two large cargo trucks pulled up unloading more of his own men, Paris leaping out of the one that was closer to the door and moving to the back of his own truck, opening the tailgate.</p><p>"Come on!" Paris demanded of Mercury. Mercury glanced between Paris and Jett.</p><p>"She won't leave!" Merc told him. Paris groaned and shook his head, the back of the truck lifting drastically as Quake leapt down from the back, chuckling as he cracked his knuckles.</p><p>"I can make her come with us," Quake insisted.</p><p>"Not the best idea," Mercury noted. He could feel his body filling with anxiety as he looked back at Jett. "Jett! Please!"</p><p>"I have to see it in action, even if I can't use it!" Jett screeched. She used Eren's semblance one last time to keep an attack from Neela's blade from landing, just missing gripping the girl by inches as Neela slid back, breathing heavily. Her aura was intact for the most part, but the two of them were beginning to wear down on a physical level. Mercury looked the fight over at the back of the warehouse.</p><p>"Hey, Neela," Mercury addressed her. "Where's your girlfriend at?" Neela paused for a moment, the question took her off guard and left Jett with an opening. Neela watched, trying to get herself moving again as Jett's hand came in, approaching her face at what seemed like a crawl, her eyes lighting up as she grabbed the woman's wrist, twisting it hard and driving her to the floor before batting her away in the face using her bow limbs. Jett crashed across the floor, her eyes wide as Neela deactivated her semblance and exhaled. The woman stared at her for a long moment, not entirely sure of what had just happened.</p><p>"How?" Jett stuttered. It was her understanding that the semblance let her see seconds into the future, but what had just happened was far different from what she'd been told. It was like she suddenly knew exactly what to do and how to execute it to avoid danger and attack. She hadn't activated it until Jett was already inches from her, she wouldn't have had time to anticipate how to dodge or counter. Her body had taken over with inhuman speed. "He was right…"</p><p>"Happy now?" Mercury asked as he helped her up.</p><p>"Police! Hands up!" Yatsu yelled as several squad cars showed up. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but you're severely outnumbered!" He held his sword out towards them, Cerise stood next to him with her mace at the ready.</p><p>"Now what?" Paris asked, slowly raising his hands. Jett walked out of the building with her hands up, joining Mercury, Paris, and Quake, a smirk on her face as she sauntered out far enough that she stood beside Paris, staring hard at Yatsu.</p><p>"What's so funny?" Yatsu demanded.</p><p>"What good is your army if they've become complacent over the years?" Jett inquired. "We've been fighting for our lives for as long as we can remember. This won't be the end for us. Does Coco think she can keep up with us still? She's been chasing us for so long…"</p><p>"Just shut up and come quietly. Your goddess can't get you out of this now," Coco thundered as she stepped past Yatsu with Jaune at her side. Jett frowned.</p><p>"You'll regret everything you've done once she comes back," Jett noted. "Goodbye, Coco." Jett reached over quickly and grabbed Paris's arm as Coco's purse transformed. Jett opened the portal, trapping herself and the other three inside with her as Coco opened fire.</p><p>"Dammit!" Coco shouted. "Give it a moment! They can't get far before they have to exit!"</p><p>"I can look for them!" Neela told Coco as she ran up to them. "I used my semblance a moment ago without any issues."</p><p>"I think you should take it easy, Neela," Coco informed her.</p><p>"Let me try, please?" Neela asked. Coco rubbed the bridge of her nose.</p><p>"Fine, but be careful," Coco sighed.</p><p>"Sure!" Neela exclaimed. She activated her semblance at its lowest level but didn't see any trace of them. Could going all out reveal them? Neela still felt fine and decided to give it a shot. Immediately something went wrong, and Neela found herself in the cafeteria staring down her White Fang persona. The twisted Neela looked up at her, Athena's mangled body at her feet with Crimson's nearby, hoisting Ebony's head up by its hair.</p><p>"Did you really think you could escape me?" Her doppelganger chuckled, eyes dark as she swayed slowly from side to side.</p><p>"Why are you here?" Neela asked. The double stopped moving, only looking up towards Neela with her eyes, the corners of her mouth twitching.</p><p>"Isn't it obvious?" The fake inquired. "You've overdone it again. If you'd stayed with us, Athena could have better taught you how to control this ability of yours."</p><p>"And I'd also be a murderer," Neela argued. The dark Neela shook her head and rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Who cares if a few humans die?" she questioned. "Remember. That one that you loved left. You didn't even do anything wrong. Not to mention she almost got your sister killed. She sounds like the worst."</p><p>"There's more to it than that," Neela shouted. Her opposite dropped the head and it rolled to her feet, changing into her own.</p><p>"We should have died here," the clone noted. "We've done nothing since then of value."</p><p>"That's not true!" Neela bit back.</p><p>"Please… really?" The double scoffed. The White Fang Neela walked out of the cafeteria and bade Neela to follow her with a gesturing of her pointer.</p><p>"Don't go with her!" A voice shouted from behind. "You need to get up and help your team!" Neela turned around to see Eliana. She began running for her friend, the room growing longer in front of her and drawing her closer to the door.</p><p>"Elli!" Neela called out.</p><p>"She left us!" The doppelganger reminded her.</p><p>"So what?" Neela asked. The evil Neela stared for a long moment before Neela felt herself returned to the real world.</p><p>"Neela!" Coco yelled at her, catching her just before her knees gave out. Neela gasped and gripped her godmother. "Are you okay?"</p><p>"Yeah!" Neela replied frantically with a nod. "Sorry, I won't try that again."</p><p>"Did you see anything?" Coco inquired. She shook her head.</p><p>"I don't know where they are…" Neela began before she was cut off. Quake was dumped from the portal in the middle of the warehouse, slamming his sword down and forming rock walls at every entrance, trapping Titus, Ilia, and ONYX in the building with the Stardust Gang.</p><p>"What!?" Coco shouted.</p><p>"I hate to run before we have a proper chance to talk to each other," Jett said standing beside Cerise and stealing her semblance. "But I'm afraid it's time we leave." The two trucks that had dropped off more Stardust members began backing up quickly without warning, smashing through the barricade of police cars and officers that had formed, Paris operating one and backing all the way down the street without slowing as Mercury swung his around nearly rolling it, allowing Jett to leap in as she held back their opposition with shock waves.</p><p>"Nora, Paris is heading your way!" Coco informed her over comms. "Yang, any chance you can come give me a lift?" Yang slid into the parking lot on her new bike, winking at Coco.</p><p>"Thought you'd never ask," Yang laughed.</p><p>"Neela, see if you can't get back in and find a way for the police to get into the building and help out with the Stardust Gang," Coco informed her as she hopped on the back of Yang's bike. "Jaune, follow us."</p><p>"Are you sure you want all of us to stay here?" Yatsu asked her. Coco nodded.</p><p>"Trust me, we can handle Mercury and Jett. Even if they get away, capturing their lackeys will definitely slow them down," Coco explained. "Let's go!" Yang took off as she whipped her bike around, Jaune retreating back to his vehicle and giving chase, leaving Neela with Yatsu and Cerise.</p><p>"Guess I should get on it then," Neela chuckled nervously.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Can Emerald handle Aurora? Next week, Chapter 15: Quake</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Quake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Can NITE and ONYX manage to take down Quake while also keeping Stardust occupied?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>Titus, Natalia, I want the two of you to take down Quake by any means necessary.</em> <em>The man needs to be put away again. Ilia and the rest of you, fend off Stardust until Neela can let the police in. Also, can someone get me a visual on Emerald, I haven't heard from her in a while and it's starting to worry me.</em></p><p>"Does it have to be Nat and me?" Titus asked.</p><p>
  <em>I don't know what happened with you two, but yes… you're the two heaviest hitters in there right now, and trust me, Quake hits pretty hard as well.</em>
</p><p>"Afraid I'll show you up?" Natalia laughed, hitting him in the shoulder and watching the brute march towards them.</p><p>"Afraid you're rusty," Titus corrected with a smirk and she laughed again.</p><p>"So that's how it is," she noted with a smile.</p><p>"I'd love to watch you two keep flirting, but look," Ilia declared pointing at Eren who was cracking his back before jogging in place.</p><p>"I guess you're the new obstacle in my way!" Eren yelled at Quake.</p><p>"Ilia," Titus began.</p><p>"Yes?" She asked.</p><p>"Subdue him," Titus replied. She nodded.</p><p>"On it," she answered. Ilia took off towards Eren who had somehow completely stolen Quake's attention from the rest of the building, sliding past the beast as she sliced his legs with her blades and he took a step back. Eren glared at her as he blasted her away from him taking her completely off guard. She slid across the floor, glancing at Quake before looking back at Eren. "Hey, I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say that his eyes aren't normally completely red and glowing."</p><p>"Sounds like Dread," Natalia noted.</p><p>"Would make sense, there is a lot of Grimms Bane around here for some reason and Neela found that the Stardust Gang was dealing with it last year," Titus added.</p><p>"Great, so he's drugged," Ilia said.</p><p>"I'll take him down just the same," Eren declared as he loaded gravity Dust into his gun and aimed it at the hulking man.</p><p>"Do you even know what he can do?" Ilia asked. Eren fired, which didn't faze Quake in the slightest. He turned to Eren, trapping him in a tomb of earth and Ilia rolled out of the way of a second similar attack directed at her.</p><p>"What's wrong with him again?" Natalia asked as she stretched.</p><p>"We're not sure, to be honest," Titus replied shaking his head. "Ilia, if he gets out of there, just grab him."</p><p>"Right," Ilia nodded.</p><p>"Oh and Ilia…" Titus started. "Stand back." Quake lifted the blade off of his shoulder, preparing to attack Ilia as Natalia took off and used her semblance to reach him at breakneck speed. He turned quickly for his size, his blade meeting her fist as she swung and her artificial limb met his weapon. Titus swiped the air, gravity Dust crashing through the air and into Quake, forcing him to step back again and allowing Natalia to overpower him, knocking the sword out of his hands and across the room. He grumbled, cocking back to swing around. He brought down the full force of his swing onto Natalia, or at least that was his plan. Instead, Titus stood in her place, covered in stone with one arm up to stop the blow. Titus smirked.</p><p>"Where's the girl?" Quake asked angrily. Titus gestured up with his head. Natalia came down from her jump, nailing Quake in the jaw which was enough to get a few steps out of him this time as Titus slammed into his gut with a haymaker. Quake chuckled as he met Natalia's next attack with a kick, knocking her away and backhanding Titus as he took them both off of their feet with his semblance. Ilia opened fire but he ignored her, bending down and picking up his sword.</p><p>"I'm not finished fighting you yet!" Eren shouted breaking free of the earth he'd been sealed inside of.</p><p>"You heard Coco, we're supposed to let Titus and Natalia handle Quake," Ilia reminded him.</p><p>"Why, so they can have all the praise and acknowledgment? Coco just doesn't realize my full potential yet," Eren explained. Titus threw one of his swords and it stuck in the wall behind Eren, Natalia activated the gravity Dust in them while holding onto his other blade, sending her screaming through the air towards Quake who didn't see her coming. She kicked his shoulder, making him stumble slightly before swinging for her but Titus had already closed in and grappled with him for the sword. Natalia activated Titus's sword again, this time acting as the anchor as the second sword flew from the wall and glanced off of the brute.</p><p>"This guy has an unreal amount of aura!" Natalia noted.</p><p>"I've… noticed…" Titus grunted, failing to wrench the sword away. Quake filled the blade with his semblance and released it as he slammed it into Titus, launching him towards the far side of the building. Natalia glanced back to make sure he was okay.</p><p>"I don't think so!" She shouted at him. She swiped at him, having the sword knocked out of her hands as an even stronger shockwave was generated and pushed not only her back but caused the rest of her team fighting the Stardust Gang behind her to stumble. "You alright?"</p><p>"Of course…" He groaned as he stood, his breathing heavy as he checked his aura on his scroll. Quake had taken half of it in a single blow, and they didn't seem to be making any headway. Would they be able to defeat him? He had already considered that maybe Neela would have an idea, but she needed to make it in first, and Titus considered that she might enter in through the skylight that Orin had entered through, but much like Titus's earth dome attack using Dust, Quake had somehow used his Semblance to place one over the entirety of the building. Was this only the work of the Dread… or had they become stronger some other way?</p><p>"Having a hard time breaking through this!" Neela told them over her comms as she tried everything from firing explosive arrows at it to slicing away at it with her sword.</p><p>"What else can we do to get her in here?" Natalia asked heading in once more and not letting the constant shock waves deter her from trying.</p><p>"Xavier!" Orin declared. "You ready for a round trip out and back in?"</p><p>"You taking me?" Xavier asked as he phased his arm through Orion's shield and punched him in the face.</p><p>"Nat will have to throw you," he noted, clashing with Sirius before firing at him. "I need to hold these guys off so NITE can work."</p><p>"Coming to you!" Natalia yelled charging full speed at Xavier.</p><p>"That works too!" Xavier declared. As the twins moved in to attack Xavier, a spinning chakram glanced off of both blades startling them before it returned to Yin. Nat reached Xavier, planting her feet with an abrupt stop and grabbing Xavier by the waist before launching him into the air. He soared through the rock, gripping Neela on his way back down and pulling her through, making them tangible again so that she could pull him down to safety.</p><p>"Eren!" Ilia shouted at him, struggling to keep him back. "Don't make me do this!"</p><p>"Do what?" He scoffed.</p><p>"Don't say I didn't warn you!" She shouted before jumping into his body with her semblance.</p><p>"Hey!" His shout echoed in her head as she fully immersed herself in his mind and found it to be a pitch-black void full of silence.</p><p>"Huh…" Ilia stated. "This isn't exactly what I expected." She just needed to take full control and make sure that he didn't do anything stupid so that Natalia, Titus, and Neela could take down Quake, nothing to it. She leapt lightly up and down, wondering what was taking the transition so long before a bright light shone behind her and she turned around to face it. She was no longer surrounded by void, the emptiness that previously filled his mind was replaced by the sights and smells that Ilia identified despite only being there once. Shion Village. It was bustling with life and tourists, as per usual these days, and Eren was standing in the middle of the marketplace, looking at a selection of fruit before picking up an apple and nodding to the vendor, handing him lien in exchange. He took a bite, taking the time to enjoy the flavor as he made small talk with the man working at the fruit cart.</p><p>The two of them laughed, Eren pausing for a moment to check his scroll before saying goodbye and heading down the road into the residential areas.</p><p>"Hey! What's up, man?!" Eren shouted into his scroll, though Ilia couldn't hear what the other person was saying. "Really? But they told us that we could have the week off. Yeah, that's true, Grimm don't wait, do they? Alright, I'll be there in a few. Yep. Later." Was this the same guy that was on their team? He seemed way too personable and upbeat. She continued to follow him, the scene shifting to a fire that had spread through the houses, and Grimm were running amok. He finished one off as the scene completely reformed, he was out of breath, and confusion and terror filled his eyes.</p><p>"What the hell is going on!?" He yelled at people that were scattering about in fear. An explosion knocked him off of his feet and he sat there dazed for a long moment. "What…"</p><p>"We got to get out of here!" Someone commanded as they ran up to him and helped him to his feet. Their face was covered with a shadow of sorts as if he was trying to forget what they looked like.</p><p>"Not until I find my parents, you and the guys said you'd keep them safe!" Eren reminded him, shoving him away.</p><p>"We didn't get there in time!" the other kid blurted. Eren's eyes narrowed as he glared at him.</p><p>"What?" Eren asked.</p><p>"It all happened so fast, we tried our best to get to them, we really did!" He exclaimed.</p><p>"No!" Eren shouted as he raced into the flames and headed towards his house.</p><p>"We can't stay here!" Another voice without a face yelled. Eren's eyes darkened.</p><p>"I trusted you to save my family!" He thundered as he blasted away the door. The front entrance collapsed in before he could enter, the flames growing even higher and trapping him outside. "No!"</p><p>"Eren!" A third demanded. "Come on!"</p><p>"This is all my fault for trusting the three of you!" Eren screamed.</p><p>"We tried! There's nothing more you could have done if you'd been here too!" He explained. Something snapped inside of Eren as he scoffed, he took a deep breath before swinging around and punching the man square in the gut blasting him away.</p><p>"I quit this team," Eren said as he looked for another way into the building which had now all but collapsed in on itself completely. "If I can't trust others then what's the point?"</p><p>"Eren…" The other two took a step towards him. He turned to look at him, the fire not reflecting off of his eyes but rather burning within them.</p><p>"Don't take another step closer or I'll end the three of you as well," Eren raged. They looked at each other before walking away, heads hanging low.</p><p>"If you change your mind, man…" The first said quietly before they disappeared completely. Eren sat in a chair before a large desk, another faceless individual sat before him, Eren slumped back, breathing slowly and hardly paying the man any attention as he stared off into space.</p><p>"Mr. Prince, have you heard a single word that I've said?" The man asked as Eren sighed and looked at him with a roll of his eyes.</p><p>"And once again I repeat, I have no interest in transferring to Haven Academy," Eren spoke slowly as if the man hadn't heard him the first time.</p><p>"But why? They have a better program than we could ever hope to have. Not to mention you'd be able to get to know your teammates right away. We wouldn't want you at the disadvantage of only having three years of team experience before you start accepting missions, now would we?" He explained to Eren. Eren sat up and stared at the man.</p><p>"The less I have to work with others the better. As soon as I graduate, I'm gonna be a solo act again anyway," Eren told him. "The only strength you can rely on is your own, other people are weak and will let you down. So I have to do everything in my power to work on my strength, I don't have the time or energy to waste on teammates."</p><p>"One more year," the professor said, Ilia had now gathered that much. "Then I will be sending you to Haven whether you like it or not. There will always be someone stronger than you are, and someday you'll need their help." Eren scoffed and waved him off as he stood.</p><p>"Nah… I'll just need to prove to them that I'm the better Huntsman," Eren told him as he left the room and his mind once again faded to black. It lasted only for a minute when light flooded Ilia's eyes and she found that she had control of Eren's body, though only a second had passed in the real world.</p><p>"Ilia?" Neela asked.</p><p>"I got him," Ilia replied. "Though he's really fighting back."</p><p>"It doesn't matter how many of you come at me now!" Quake thundered. "With my power's boosted and this Dread coursing through my veins, I'm unstoppable!" He slammed his blade into the floor, this time sending all of his power through it and shaking the building itself.</p><p>"We have to keep him busy so the whole place doesn't come down!" Neela shouted to her teammates.</p><p>"Sure, no sweat," Titus replied as he and Nat charged back in and attempted another barrage. Quake proved to be quicker now and swung his sword around, using his semblance to knock them away, even though the swing came up empty. Neela needed to think of something…</p><hr/><p>"How much more can you take, Em?" Aurora asked as she nailed the woman in the temple again with her meteor hammer, driving her back to the floor and causing her aura to falter for a third time. "It's so much fun pushing you right to the edge of what you can take and letting your aura build back up. That hope in your eyes that you might figure something out to get out of here. You might know where the door is now, right? But you can't move, and none of those children down there are close enough for you to let them know you're still here."</p><p>"Doesn't Mercury need you yet?" Emerald spat.</p><p>"He can hold his own for a while, we've all been getting stronger thanks to Salem's power," Aurora explained disappearing and reappearing on the far side of the room. "I can't wait until she comes back. I wonder what she'll be like. I bet she's really pretty and loving, like a mother, you know?"</p><p>"I do know, and she's not anything like that," Emerald insisted. "The way that she controlled me and Merc with fear… and Cinder with the promise of power…" <em>Cinder! That was it!</em> "But Cinder never obtained that power, and Merc's still afraid of her!"</p><p>"And you're not?" Aurora inquired. "It's normal to have a healthy amount of fear of those that have power over you. I hear that you and her other disciples at the time failed over and over again, but she never disposed of any of you…"</p><p>"She hurt Hazel!" Emerald exclaimed. Aurora laughed loudly.</p><p>"Oh please!" She argued. "I heard his semblance was blocking out pain anyway."</p><p>"Well, he was far better at that than I was," Emerald stated. Emerald flickered from Aurora's vision before her actual body crashed out of the door and headed for the stairs, nearly tumbling down them as her aura broke. Aurora stepped out onto the balcony, shaking her head as she watched Emerald crumple in a heap. The students were fully engaged in their fight with Quake and the rest of Stardust. Her scroll vibrated.</p><p>"Coco's chasing you?" Aurora stammered. "I'll be there as soon as I can, Master!" Aurora glared at Emerald one last time. "I never thought that she'd use her semblance on herself."</p><hr/><p>"His power seems to be getting greater by the moment, Neela!" Titus shouted. He and Nat both crashed their fists off of the giant broadsword, having no luck in damaging it or even knocking it away from the man as he instead powered through their attack and pushed them away. Nat slid further than Titus who was running out of ideas as Neela continued assessing the situation, trying to come up with anything to help. She hadn't actually joined them for training in some time due to the issues with her semblance, and it seemed that some of her mind's sharp and keen decision making had worn slightly.</p><p>"I'm thinking!" She assured him.</p><p>"I'm not sure we have time for that!" He yelled back impatiently. Titus rushed in by himself, blowing past Nat who barely had time to regain her wits, reaching out to stop him but failing to do so. She chased after him, knowing whatever he was planning would fail.</p><p>"We need to coordinate!" Nat shouted at him.</p><p>"I can do this!" He bellowed. He nearly reached Quake, coming within feet of striking the blade but being thrown back. His body soared away from Quake towards Nat who was directly behind him, she managed to grasp him under her arm and swing him around to safety without him taking much if any damage. That was when both Titus and Neela saw it.</p><p>"Come on, Titus, you know this will work better if we do it together," Nat said to him reaching down to help him up. The whole scene changed, Titus looked around to find they were in the sewers under Mantle, the oversized Saber they been sent to fight had run off for the time being, but he knew it couldn't have gone far. He let her help him up before brushing himself off and marching off without her again. "Titus! Please!"</p><p>"This is nothing, I can do it myself," Titus explained to her.</p><p>"But what if it is something," she asked rushing ahead of him and placing a hand on his chest. "You don't have to do this alone, I'm not calling you weak, you know all this. Admon has really gotten into your head and sometimes I wish that you weren't training with him."</p><p>"Are you saying that the General is wrong in his teachings?" Titus asked.</p><p>"Some of them, yes," she told him. He glared at her for a long moment. "You've been different since you've started working so closely with him. You don't have fun. You don't let loose. You just tackle problems head-on, by yourself, and you try to overpower them." He softened for a second.</p><p>"Nat…" He began.</p><p>"I miss how you were before…" Nat told him. "I just don't want to lose you, so let's work together, okay?"</p><p><em>It doesn't mean I'm weak… </em>Titus told himself looking up at Natalia. He took her hand.</p><p>"Okay," he told her. He let her pull him up, finding his feet.</p><p>"Titus, I have an idea!" Neela shouted as she swung up to the balcony in front of the foreman's office to get a better angle.</p><p>"We're all ears," he informed her.</p><p>"Just get ready to attack!" She told him. She turned to Eren who was struggling against Ilia now.</p><p>"Get out of my head!" Eren shouted as he stumbled about clumsily. Neela fired an arrow between him and Quake as the man was making his way over, it exploded as it made contact with the ground, keeping him back for a moment.</p><p>"Eren!" Neela yelled.</p><p>"What?!" He asked, clearly annoyed.</p><p>"I bet you can't get in there and hit Quake's sword where I shoot it!" Neela scoffed. He glared at her for a few seconds, completely ignoring Ilia.</p><p>"You mocking me?" He growled.</p><p>"Nah, just don't think you can pull it off," Neela jested. He scowled and stared intently at his target.</p><p>"Just shoot him already!" Eren demanded.</p><p>"Ilia," Neela said into her comms.</p><p>"Yes?" Ilia replied.</p><p>"I need you to jump out in front of him just before he gets there," Neela instructed.</p><p>"I think I get what we're doing," Ilia noted. Neela rolled her shoulders and took a deep breath.</p><p>"Here goes nothing," Neela exhaled. She fired a quick arrow towards Quake which got his attention, his body violently turning to meet her gaze as the arrow was easily dropped by his semblance and she fired a second arrow with Gravity Dust. It made it most of the way, a second and third arrow following quickly behind through the split shockwaves, the final arrow reaching the sword and erupting in a cloud of Ice Dust, coating his sword. "Now, Eren!"</p><p>"Don't tell me what to do!" He bellowed rushing in, Ilia leaping out ahead of him as she was instructed. Quake's semblance struck her, throwing her back into Eren and she seamlessly rejoined his body. He slid in, charging his hand cannon with his semblance, and placed a solid blast on the frozen sword, shattering it in half. Eren smirked, proud of himself for a fleeting second as Quake swung the broken blade. Ilia leapt out of Eren's body over the sword, launching herself off of Eren's shoulders to push him back out of the way before landing on the other side of Quake and grabbing his neck, forcing him to toss the sword away.</p><p>"You two are up!" Neela shouted. Titus smirked and looked at Natalia who looked excited. This was familiar and warming.</p><p>"You ready?" He asked.</p><p>"I've been waiting for this for a long time," she said bouncing lightly on her feet. Natalia raced ahead of Titus, grabbing Quake by the arm as Ilia left his body and swinging him around with all of her strength, Titus using enough force to his lower torso to lift him off of the ground. Natalia swung the brute completely over her body, slamming him onto his back as his aura fizzled.</p><p>"One more should do it!" Titus declared. Quake blasted himself up to his feet using his semblance, allowing Neela to plant him to the floor with a flurry of earth arrows.</p><p>"Now!" Neela shouted. Titus and Natalia took a single step in, both of them nailing him in the jaw at the same time, shattering his aura and knocking him out cold instantly. Emerald and the Stardust Gang watched in awe before Sirius slowly raised his hands and backed away from Orin, Yin, and Xavier.</p><p>"What are you doing?" Orion asked. The twins followed Sirius's lead.</p><p>"Is that how you want to end up?" Sirius asked Orion. "They destroyed him. That much power would easily kill the four of us." Orion looked back at Quake before sighing and giving up as well. Emerald struggled to her feet, not sure if what she just witnessed was real, was it possible that she was still trapped within Aurora's semblance?</p><p>"We did it?!" Neela exclaimed, slightly in disbelief.</p><p>"No sweat," Eren chuckled as Ilia leapt out of his body and shuddered. He grabbed her arm. "Hey!"</p><p>"Before you start shouting, there was no other way to get you to…" She began. He cut her off.</p><p>"No," he replied. She stared into his eyes, he looked intense. "Don't tell anyone what you saw." He glared at her for a moment before she wrenched away and nodded.</p><p>"I get it," Ilia said as she walked towards Neela. He watched her, intrigued.</p><p>"We still got it," Titus laughed hard.</p><p>"Pfft, I've still got it," Natalia teased. "You were just there too."</p><p>"Yeah," he coughed. "Sure. Whatever you say."</p><p>"Felt good, didn't it?" She asked him. He looked away with a smirk.</p><p>"It was fine," he replied.</p><p>"Is my Gargoyle finally softening up a bit?" She jested. She reached her arms out for a hug and he folded his arms and shook his head. She shrugged. "Alright everybody, great job!" She smacked his ass and he jumped unexpectedly.</p><p>"We just have to hold them until the police can get in," Orin noted. At that moment, the bay door where all of the patrol cars had stopped was freed from the earthen blockade, Cerise standing out of breath on the other side. "And there we have it."</p><p>"Is everyone okay?" Sun asked, stepping into the building with Yatsu and Cerise.</p><p>"Emerald looks like she might need medical attention, but we're all okay," Neela noted, nodding to the woman.</p><p>"Great," Yatsu said as he walked to Quake. He looked back up at Neela and Ilia before turning to the brute again. "Incredible…"</p><p>"Was nothing really…" Eren bragged as he approached Yatsu.</p><p>"Don't touch me," Yatsu warned before the boy could reach him.</p><p>"Okay," he mumbled, changing course.</p><p>"Where's Coco? Is she still chasing Jett and Mercury?" Neela asked.</p><p>"Last we were told they were still after them, and Jaune and Nora are closing in on Paris," Yatsu informed her.</p><p>"Should we go help?" Neela questioned closing the gap between them.</p><p>"I think you guys have done enough for tonight," Neptune answered for him as he entered. "Go have fun or something."</p><p>"Yeah!" Sun agreed. "We know a great noodle place!"</p><p>"We're good," Titus waved them off.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>NITE and ONYX takedown Quake! Will Coco catch Mercury finally? We're going to take off the next two weekends for the holidays, so we'll see you the weekend of January 9th with Chapter 16: Chase! Have a safe and happy holiday!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chase</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Will Coco finally catch Mercury?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Remind me to never pick you voluntarily as my partner for a high-speed chase ever again!”</span>
  <span> Nora shouted at Jaune as they sped down the freeway behind Paris’s truck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Why?” Jaune asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We’ve been tailing a truck that this car should easily go faster than for the last several miles and you keep using your turn signal! Nice of you to let him know when we’re planning on cutting him off!” Nora yelled as she rolled down her window and stuck her head out, hammer gripped tightly in her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “But this isn’t my car, I don’t want to damage it,” Jaune defended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’m sure they aren’t worried about it, now let’s move!” Nora insisted, using the bottom of her hammer’s staff to move his foot out of the way and step on the gas. “You better turn if you don’t want to end up rear-ending him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Alright, alright,” Jaune insisted as he moved over and gave it a little more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Now this is more like it!” Nora laughed loudly as she opened the sunroof and clambered out using his shoulder as a footing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Nora… I… “ He looked up to scold her and saw up her skirt, averting his eyes and ignoring the situation above him. “Nevermind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Alright kid! You want some?” Nora asked, standing on the roof of the car now, preparing to smash the truck’s hood. When they caught up with the vehicle Nora noted the window was open. “Stop or I’ll break your legs!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’d like to see you try!” He offered as he fired senbons out, shredding one of Jaune’s tires.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Bad!” Jaune yelled, already slamming the breaks to try and stop swerving, in addition, to avoid flipping the vehicle as Nora leapt off and landed on the truck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Catch up if you can!” Nora called back to him. She skipped to the front, holding her hammer high above her head before front flipping forward and smashing the hood, flipping the large vehicle end over end. She brought her hand to her forehead, squinting and watching for Paris to fall out, but he didn’t appear to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Should I be impressed?” He asked, emerging from his pocket dimension beside her and shaking his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Oh right, I forgot you could do that,” she stated. She shrugged. “I guess that just means we have more time to fight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Naturally,” he groaned. He stepped out of the way of a vehicle that sped by, nearly crashing into the wreckage of the truck and stopping to examine it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Hey!” Nora shouted. She barely leapt out of the way of another car to find that Paris had disappeared for a moment and she swung her hammer around, compacting it, riding it over to the crash site. She leapt off just short of the gathering crowd. “You can’t be here, this is a busy freeway!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Calm down, we’re just calling the cops,” the man told her. Nora groaned and swung around quickly as Paris had emerged again, swinging at her. His concealed fist met her weapon, which somehow seemed to negate her attack. She stared for a second before he opened a portal beneath them both, getting them out of the way of the traffic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I can let loose in here,” she told him. He smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “So can I,” he chuckled. He opened the dimension, a car nearly took Nora out but she managed to backflip out of the way, landing on her feet as it left and Paris cracked her in the jaw with his fist which felt incredibly solid. She left the ground, crashing into the wall of the dimension as his senbons flew towards her. She blocked most of them with her hammer, one or two grazing her aura and she fired a barrage of rockets that forced him back from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What are you all after anyway?” Nora asked him. The two of them clashed, his fist grappling her hammer and forcing it out of the way, but not fully expecting the head to be capable of swiveling. She did so, activating the rocket propulsion and catching his jaw, tossing him away from her as his aura absorbed the hit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “How many times do we have to repeat ourselves,” he groaned as he tried finding his feet. She rushed towards him to take advantage of the situation but he dropped out of the dimension again to give himself a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “She’s dead and no matter how much you want to deny it, the kid is dead too, so I’m not sure I actually do know what you want,” Nora told him. “Did someone promise you power? Give some big speech about it coming from Salem? That’s how they get you, you know. Then they toss you away when they’re done with you and surprise surprise, no power.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “The Neo-Salem’s are no more,” he replied, his voice coming from all around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Oh, so you all did come to your senses then?” Nora asked. The dimension opened beneath her, but instead of throwing her back into the real world, she was face to face with Damu. “Seriously?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “The anointed are now known as The Children of Salem,” Paris thundered. “Abigor has given us each a taste of Salem’s power to use until she returns.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Okay, I’ll admit it sounds better than Neo-Salem, but rebranding doesn’t make you guys any less of quacks,” Nora informed him. Damu blasted her back and she tumbled through a portal, directly back out to the freeway to see that an ice-wall was now blocking off traffic. “Jaune!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Almost there!” He replied. “I just… uh Nora…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Hold on!” She exclaimed. She summoned lightning to blast Damu away from her and released another barrage of missiles that formed a hole for Jaune to make his way through. Paris rushed in and blindsided Nora, nailing her in the ribs, his fist cold to the touch and flash freezing her clothing as she bounced away. “What the hell is up with this guy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Does he have some kind of prosthetic loaded with ice Dust?” Jaune asked as he rushed to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I don’t know,” she told him. “I haven’t gotten a look at it yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “And you won’t get one,” Paris informed them. “Damu, take care of them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’m sensing large amounts of Dust nearby,” Damu informed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “And as I’ve told you every time that you’ve brought it up, just ignore that for now,” Paris told him annoyed. Nora smirked and glanced at Jaune.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Thinking what I’m thinking?” Nora asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’ve got a decent idea,” Jaune noted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “If you obstruct our objective, I’ve been programmed to destroy you,” Damu stated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Launch me,” Nora told Jaune. He nodded and let her leap on his shield, using the Gravity Dust infused within to launch Nora off.  She swung her hammer around in an upward attack, catching Damu in the torso and sending him flying into Paris, the two of them tumbling across the ground and Paris’s aura fizzled slightly. She knew Damu was heavy, but she was really hoping that Damu would become more interested in whatever Paris had for Dust. She landed a ways away near the crashed truck, watching as Jaune rushed the men to attack. He reflected a blast from Damu back at Paris who slid away, blocking with his arm. Nora rushed in, forcing him to swing around and defend from her and she put her full force into it. Something gave, sending him tumbling away from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “No!!!” He shouted. He staggered to his feet, breathing heavily as he reached out towards the ice wall he had formed before, fractals of ice falling from his raised arm. The ice reverted to Dust, trailing through the air towards his body before Damu took to the air and began absorbing it. “Damu! Get out of the way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Collecting Dust is my primary…” was all the bot managed before his torso was removed from his legs by Paris by closing his Semblance on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I don’t care, and I honestly don’t know why they brought you on! What are you doing with all of the Dust anyway?! You’ve used more than you’ve actually stored!” Paris raged. Damu’s top half clawed its way towards Paris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Large amounts of Dust,” he repeated. “Large amounts of Dust.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Die,” Paris demanded. He tossed his senbons at the mangled cyberman, pinning it to the ground. He glared at Jaune who was still shocked. “Maybe you’ll be next. Who knows what all I can do now that Salem has given us more power.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Forget someone?” Nora whispered in his ear. Her hammer smashed into his ribs with a crack, breaking his aura and sending him right for Jaune’s shield, the huntsman pinning him down beneath it. “Can’t use your semblance with a broken aura, and you just couldn’t be bothered with taking note of me, could you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You’ll pay for this,” Paris informed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I doubt it,” Jaune told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Now, let’s take a look at this arm,” Nora said as she grabbed his cape and she tore it away. She stared speechless for a few seconds as Jaune caught a glimpse as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “That’s impossible,” Jaune stated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Impossible?” He scoffed. The ice wall shattered, the Dust returning to him as he let the excess freeze both of their legs in place. “Seems unlikely that you’d feel that way all things considered.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “But we were told…” Nora argued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Damu!” Paris called. “Freeze them and let’s get out of here!” The two pros had been rendered immobile and speechless by what they’d seen and Damu used what Ice Dust was left in his body to make sure they were frozen up to their necks, letting Paris find his feet. “Damn I hate you, but if I bring you back to Abigor and Jett like this they’ll kill me. As soon as I get a bit of aura back I’ll take us out of here and get your legs reattached.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Large amounts of Dust,” Damu insisted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Shut up,” Paris demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What’s your next move?” Nora asked him one final time. He sighed and shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Bringing Salem back,” Paris chuckled. “You guys really are that dense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “No,” Nora corrected. “You specifically. As an individual.” Paris walked over to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’m sure Coco probably told you all what I tried during the entrance exam,” Paris noted. “And I plan on finishing what I started.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You’re sick,” Jaune shouted. Paris chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Once that girl is dead I’ll be able to sleep a little better at night,” Paris insisted. “If anything I’ll be doing you a favor. No more outbursts, or students calling her a freak.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Well this chat has been fun and all,” Nora offered. The ice around her shattered as lightning struck her and she leapt high into the air with her hammer behind her. “But I’m ready to shut you up!!!” As she came down they disappeared into his dimension, slipping away into the night. “Damn it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “It’s fine, we’ll get them next time,” Jaune told her. “Besides, with that buff from Salem that he claims he was given, I think his aura came back quicker than he let on. These guys are getting more and more dangerous by the day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “That’s why I wanted to stop him here…” she explained dejectedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I know,” he replied. “You uh… you mind letting me out of this ice?” She ran to him and gave it a tap with her hammer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Sorry.”</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>        “Just remember,” Coco reminded her. “Don’t let Jett touch you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “This isn’t my first rodeo you know!” Yang called out over her Motorcycle as they began catching the truck. “I am surprised they headed out of town though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’m not,” Coco replied. “Thinking they didn’t want us to find their hideout.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Well, they can’t run all night,” Yang noted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “They can’t run any longer at all,” Coco corrected as she flipped her gun out and riddled their back tires with bullets. The truck slid for a bit as it was obvious that Mercury was putting the pedal to the metal in order to avoid slowing down, but there was no point in it. Sparks shot off of the back, slowing Yang down as the truck came to a stop and they did the same. Coco shook her head, swinging her leg over the bike and winking at Yang before heading for the driver side door. “You do not want me to open that door, Merc. How’s about you open it, come out without a fight, and we can talk about letting you rot in prison instead of giving you a death sentence?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “How about you go to hell!” Mercury yelled through the door before kicking it off of the truck towards her. She battered it away with her purse with ease, staring at him like a crazed animal, shaking her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “And I even gave you a chance,” Coco sighed. “I’m guessing Jett is hiding behind you because she ran out of shockwaves, the police called me and told me they got into the building and I have a pretty good idea of how her semblance works at this point, so you both might just want to come out. Odds are pretty good that I can fill this entire cab with bullets before either of you can get out of the vehicle.” Yang moved to join her, gauntlets cocked back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Hey, Mercury,” Yang greeted him with a nod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Blondie, long time no see,” he chuckled. “Did you bring your kid with you too? Just thought it might be more fun if we outsmart the three of you instead of just the two of you.” Mercury looked back at the passenger seat and said something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “So here’s what we can do then,” Coco noted. “I’m sure you don’t want to head up to Atlas with Quake, it’s where we’re sending the bigger catches these days since Mistral and Vale can’t seem to hold you guys, so I’m willing to cut you a deal there even. You tell me exactly what the Neo-Salems are up to… hell, I’ll let you just tell me where Blood is, and I’ll let you stay in Vale for your sentence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You mistake me for someone weak like Emerald who feels remorse over their actions,” Mercury scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Nah. Never thought you did, but I guess I did make a mistake in thinking you weren’t an idiot,” Coco rebutted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “And as for Blood, I thought Emerald was listening in on that conversation,” Mercury grumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Yeah, but you guys are heading south now,” Coco pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You wouldn’t leave town for Blood’s base of operations right away, would you?” Yang pried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “So where is she?” Coco demanded, preparing to pull the trigger. “No one will blame me for killing you, we’ve been after you for far too long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Not even the slightest bit of remorse if you go through with it, huh?” Mercury inquired. “Just like when you killed that child.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “He would have become Salem!” Yang interjected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You’re all so sure that you had the right kid!!!” Mercury yelled back at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Don’t kill him, he’s not worth the time,” Yang told Coco trying to push her gun down, Coco trembling as she gripped it tightly, rage rushing through her veins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Nah!” Mercury called to them. “You’ve given us enough time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Always a step behind,” Jett called from behind them. They turned to face her, something was very wrong. Her eyes were glowing red through the mask and the air felt still and menacing. Her veins glowed slightly in her neck, most likely where she injected herself and her chest heaved as her body tried to compensate for the sudden terror and power boost she’d introduced. “Paired with Salem’s gift we all received recently, I feel invincible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Dread…” Yang noted slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “It makes sense,” Jett mumbled to herself. “It fills the mind with a desperate fear and fight to survive. Like an animal trapped in a corner… and with Salem’s power, the two thrive off of each other. You’ve been the biggest thorn in our side for the longest time, Coco. Let’s end this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “As if,” Coco spat. “Salem is dead, and you can join her in hell.” Coco could feel one of the corners of Jett’s mouth turned up and she lifted her hands out towards the two women.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “After… you…” Jett spoke slowly. Both women felt their aura’s break instantly as Jett’s crackled and she took a step back, panting and shivering. “I’ve never wielded two at the same time before…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I thought you said she had to touch us!” Yang exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “It must be the Dread!” Coco noted. Yang fired a barrage of timed rounds that riddled Jett, exploding after a second or so, and Jett’s maniacal laughter cut through the stillness of the night, a quarter of her mask shattered apart near her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Doesn’t your semblance make you stronger when you take damage?” Jett chuckled. “And Coco…” She lifted her kukri’s and activated the Gravity Dust in them, pulling Coco and Yang in with enough force to take the air out of their lungs. Jett’s eyes seared into Coco’s mind as she lifted a hand to block one kukri and the other sliced through her from her cheek down through her upper lip on the left side. Coco yelped, falling back before Yang cut in between the two of them, holding Jett back with her mechanical arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You think I got this far because of my semblance?” Yang grunted with a smirk. She detached her arm, sidestepping which sent Jett falling forward at the sudden loss of opposite force, torquing her body around and blasting her away with her left Ember Celica. Jett crashed across the pavement, coming to a stop at Mercury’s feet and leaping back up. She popped her arm back into place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Even without your extra power you’re tough,” Jett admitted. “But now that hit just became my advantage.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Bring it!” Yang demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Yang, we need to leave!” Coco informed her. Yang looked down at her for a moment before looking at Jett who was preparing to charge in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “The cut isn’t deep,” Yang told her calmly. “It’ll scar, but you’re fine. We’ve fought worse than this. You can do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Can she!?” Jett snarled, her face twisted into a macabre smile and she cried from laughing. “She looks so defeated already, knowing that she might have made a wrong decision! Tonight alone she’s already made more than one! Hahahahaha!” Jett rushed in, using her kukri’s Dust again to practically teleport to Yang, her damage infused blow met by Yang’s prosthetic which crushed slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “It’s okay to make a bad decision every now and then with good intentions!” Yang said, loading her rockets as she cocked back and released. The missiles pelted off of Jett who had deactivated the fire Dust inside with Coco’s semblance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Unless those intentions leave you dead!” Jett cackled wailing on Yang again. Several blows to the ribs left Yang coughing up blood before she was thrown back towards Vale, sailing through the air for a good hundred feet or so. “She’ll live through that, but I have no intention of letting you live.” Jett’s hands covered her mask and her body contorted in a sick, sadistic wave of ecstasy. “Intentions! Ha!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Coco,” a voice came over her comms. “Is everything alright? They said they caught Quake and I wondered if it meant you were coming home soon. Lamar told me to tell you that he loves you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Yeah,” Coco grunted with an out of breath laugh. “I’ll be home soon. Tell him I love him too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Why are you laughing?” Jett asked, kicking her a few feet off of the road and towards the woods. “What’s so funny?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “To think I let one bad choice go to my head when I have to think about my family,” Coco noted as she managed to find her feet. She was barely beaten. Yang was right, there was a scar on her face, but that was it thanks to Yang. It was time to return the favor. Jett came in again and tried an overpowered attack with Yang’s semblance but Coco went on the defensive, blocking shot after shot with her purse, all the while moving back into the woods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What’s the plan?” Jett questioned degradingly. “Someone else coming to help? Thinking of getting me away from Mercury will even the odds? Waiting for my semblance to wear off… or the Dread? Going to use some Dread yourself?” Jett cackled again. “There’s nothing you can possibly do!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I live in Vale,” Coco told her. “Have for quite some time now. Take my wife and kid all over the area looking for things to do and places to visit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What’s your point?” Jett growled angrily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Funny thing about Dread,” Coco noted. “It’s weak.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “And yet I’m the one with both of your semblances!” Jett reminded her, releasing another barrage of blows that glanced off of Coco’s purse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “And here I was trying to help you win,” Coco sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What do you…” Jett asked before her body completely locked up. The forest melted away around her and Jett found herself lying in the middle of a street in Mistral, bloodied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Have you seen anyone lose a fight more times than this girl?” A voice questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “And what a stupid mask,” another added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “She’s fought the Maniac four times and lost every time, you think by now she would have learned that Tawney can’t be beaten,” the first replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I heard that she’s homeless from all the lien she’s lost on these fights,” a third chimed in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “She can even steal the semblances of people and she still loses,” the first chipped in once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Pathetic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Weak.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What a loser.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Maybe someday she’ll stop wasting our time…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “No!” She screamed. “What is this?!?!?” Coco stepped out of the crowd of people and grabbed her by the chin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Dread is Grimm’s Bane, but after it’s refined and altered into a drug, it’s so much weaker than the source it comes from,” Coco explained. “This flower.” She plucked one and held it to Jett’s mask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Get away!” Jett shouted as she was thrown by someone else down a flight of stairs. “Father?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Such an unruly child,” he growled at her. “You’re a failure to this family! Don’t come back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Stop! Stop this!” Jett demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “But I’ve built up an immunity and know where most of the patches in Vale are. To make sure my kid avoids them and if he doesn’t, so I can rescue him,” Coco told her. Coco’s transformed before Jett’s eyes, her back sprouting Grimm Dragon wings and her face becoming that of a demon’s. She trembled in fear. “Any last words?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I…” Jett attempted. She stopped and calmed herself, closing her eyes before reopening them to find herself standing in the road without anyone around. “How did I get here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Someday I’ll be too late and one of you is going to die,” Aurora sighed as she walked past Jett. “I’ll give you enough time to get out of here, but that’s it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Then why don’t we kill Coco?!” Jett screeched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Dreads about to wear off and we both know when that happens that your body is going to be screaming with pain,” Aurora informed her. “Besides, you’re still technically in the middle of all that Bane and I’m doing my best to keep three people in a pretty intensive illusion. Now, I can either drop you back into that hellscape you were just dealing with, or you can leave and we can worry about Coco later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’ll fight her now!” Jett demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You’ll die,” Aurora replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I just need more Dread, right?” Jett asked. “That’s all I need to keep from crashing. Bring me some.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Mercury is my priority, not you,” Aurora reminded her. “But if you’d step out of this Bane patch, I’ll gladly let you go get it yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Good enough,” Jett agreed. Aurora let her see enough of her surroundings to get out and like that, the girl was gone. Jett raced for the truck. “More Dread and I can end this quickly! That’s all it will take!” Before she reached the road the truck erupted into a magnificent explosion with Yang slowly slumping her way towards the wreckage. Jett’s mind raced as she felt herself about to crash.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Get in!” Mercury yelled from a car with Aurora, further up the road. Jett sprinted for them and quickly entered the vehicle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You lied to me!” Jett shouted at Aurora who drove. The loli shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Master says lying is bad!” Aurora giggled. “I told you I’d let you out of the Bane patch and that’s all that I agreed to!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Also, how did you know telling them the exact location of Blood’s mountain would work?” Jett asked Mercury.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I wasn’t entirely sure that it would, but I knew she’d never believe that we’d head there immediately after running,” Mercury noted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “When are we going back for them?” Aurora asked. Mercury chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We aren’t,” Mercury stated. “I don’t need any of them going ahead. I say we just let them sit and think about what they’ve done. We’ll lay low until the next part of our plan needs to take place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “The expo,” Jett said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Exactly,” Mercury replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What’s Blood like?” Aurora questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “She won’t be thrilled that we’re on our way,” Jett seethed through her teeth. “Hnngh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You okay?” Mercury inquired looking back at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “The Dread is wearing off,” </span>
  <span>Aurora informed him</span>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Mercury managed to get away again. New week, Chapter 17: Debrief!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Debrief</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Orin and Neela report to Coco to give their summaries of what happened while fighting Stardust.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You guys did a great job out there today," Coco boasted as the ship began its descent to approach the cliffside at Beacon. "I'm glad that you were able to pull it together out there, somehow, and take Quake down. I don't know if you kids understand how much of an accomplishment that is, but I'm sure you will someday."</p><p>"Oh we know," Xavier insisted. "He was a pretty big deal in Mistral back in the day, right?"</p><p>"I think she meant the first years," Orin noted.</p><p>"Oh, right," Xavier chuckled, sitting back. "I knew that."</p><p>"Made my night a bit worthwhile all things considered," Coco sighed touching her face where the cut had scabbed over for the time being.</p><p>"It looks pretty badass, so I wouldn't worry about it too much," Natalia assured her. Titus nodded in agreement.</p><p>"If you guys had let me go in there alone…" Eren began.</p><p>"You'd be dead," Yin informed him. "You should probably worry about self-preservation before you worry about impressing your team's leader."</p><p>"Whatever,' Eren replied, crossing his arms.</p><p>"I'm really not sure how you did it, Neela," Coco stated, rubbing her forehead.</p><p>"Reverse psychology," Neela replied. "It was easy when I thought about it." Coco chuckled.</p><p>"I should have brought you with me to fight Jett," Coco laughed. The ship touched down and they all poured out, heading back to the dorms with the exception of Neela.</p><p>"I am ready for sleep!" Nat declared.</p><p>"I'm not," Xavier griped as he leapt on his feet. "I'm so pumped man! Did you see Nat and Team NITE take that guy down?! You guys were great!"</p><p>"Well we have class in the morning, so you're going to have to be ready for sleep," Orin reminded him.</p><p>"That's fair I guess," Xavier groaned. "Hey, Ilia!" He chased her down.</p><p>"What's up?" She asked him.</p><p>"You mind if I walk with you back to the dorms?" Xavier requested. She smiled sheepishly and brushed her hair out of her face.</p><p>"I'm fine," she dismissed him. "Thank you for the offer though." Yin jogged over.</p><p>"Friendzoned already?" Yin questioned.</p><p>"I was just being thoughtful, that's all," Xavier insisted.</p><p>"Alright, alright," Yin gawfed.</p><p>"It's past curfew," Titus reminded them. "Get a move on."</p><p>"Yeah yeah," Xavier waved him off.</p><p>"You too!" Titus called to Eren who was heading towards the woods.</p><p>"Make me!" Eren replied. He turned around and bumped into Coco, the moonlight glinting off of her shades. "Okay, yeah, I'm going."</p><p>"Come on, Neela," Emerald told Neela as she looked out across the ocean. Neela glanced back at the school's night watch for a long moment before returning her gaze to the water below.</p><p>"Can I have a few minutes?" Neela asked. Coco returned with Eren and sent him on his way before grabbing Emerald by the arm and pulling her close.</p><p>"We'll debrief in the morning," she said in Emerald's ear. Emerald nodded to her and approached Neela, taking a seat next to the girl.</p><p>"What's on your mind?" Emerald asked her. Neela sat as well and looked across the water.</p><p>"Did you know that the ocean is one of the most perfect things in all of Remnant? It's one of the most alive things in this world. Its sounds, its ability to perfectly reflect light. It gives life and when it's angry, it can take life away. The motion can put someone to sleep or wake them into a nightmare. It's not beautiful in itself. No, the perfection of being all things absolutely, yet completely open to interpretation, is what makes it beautiful," Neela told Emerald. She held her breath for a moment before letting it out slowly, trying to find some tranquility in the words.</p><p>"What ocean do you find yourself in the middle of?" Emerald inquired. Neela looked at her suddenly.</p><p>"What?" Neela asked her.</p><p>"Which of those oceans is yours, at this very moment?" Emerald questioned. Neela looked at the waves and the old dock far below that laid at the bottom of the cliff.</p><p>"A few weeks ago it was being torn apart by a tempest…" Neela began. "But I think that the sun might be just past the horizon." Emerald laughed to herself.</p><p>"I'd like to say the same too," Emerald confessed. "But it's almost too early to tell, isn't it?" Neela looked at her again and nodded with a smirk.</p><p>"Did you ever love someone, even though they felt like they messed everything up when they didn't?" Neela pondered.</p><p>"Not exactly, but I understand where you're coming from," Emerald assured her.</p><p>"I was excited for a few minutes when we defeated Quake, but then I remembered that Eliana's not here to share in the victory with me," Neela explained. "I just… I want her to come back. And I haven't tried calling her again in some time because I'm afraid that she'll say no. Or more accurately… I'm more afraid of how I'll react if she says no. My body hasn't agreed with me once in the last few months, even using my semblance today almost knocked me out. I guess that's my fault though, Raven wasn't supposed to teach me how to evolve my semblance."</p><p>"Call her," Emerald told Neela.</p><p>"What?" Neela asked as Emerald stood.</p><p>"Even though she was the worst thing that ever happened to me, and maybe that's not the best case to make considering what you're dealing with, but I still regret not telling Cinder how I felt about her," Emerald said, helping her stand. "Besides, you and Eliana sound like you have a way more stable dynamic than we did." Neela laughed.</p><p>"From what I've heard I'm confident that's true," Neela chuckled.</p><p>"Just go for it and tell her that you want her to come back," Emerald instructed the girl. "It'll eat away at you more if you don't."</p><p>"I think I will try to call her," Neela agreed. "Thanks."</p><p>"No sweat," Emerald waved her off. "Anytime you want to have a girl talk with a non-parental figure, I'm here." Neela laughed again.</p><p>"Sure," Neela replied. "And maybe you should get back up on the horse too, huh?" Emerald shoved her back towards the dorms.</p><p>"Yeah, we'll see."</p><hr/><p>Coco paced Glynda's office floor as she waited for her and Emerald to arrive, doing everything that she could possibly think of in order to keep her eyes open as the full weight of her fatigue had finally set in. She hadn't had any sleep that night, collecting as much of her thoughts about the event as her unstable mind would let her, pouring over the details she knew so far about NITE's interactions with Stardust as well as Emerald's. She wasn't going to wait around and be behind the curve any longer, she was going to make moves and stop the Neo-Salem's, or the Children of Salem as Nora told her they wanted to be called going ahead, in their tracks. The door opened, Coco nearly jumped out of her skin before realizing it was Neela and Nora, though she didn't recall asking the two of them to be there.</p><p>"You alright, Coco?" Neela asked her. "You look like you could use some sleep."</p><p>"I'm fine," Coco insisted as she drank some more of her coffee, nearly finishing it off in a large swig. "Couldn't sleep last night, had to make sure that I had everything straight in my head."</p><p>"You're doing a great job, Coco. Whatever Jett said, you can't let it get to you," Nora informed her. Coco nodded and rubbed her eyes.</p><p>"I know," Coco said with a thankful smile before it was wiped away. "But if there's more that I can do to stop these fanatics, I have to try." The door opened again, Coco turned to see Orin enter and close it behind him. "I know I didn't invite you for sure, what's going on?"</p><p>"Mine and Neela's appearances in this meeting were made on Glynda's insistence," Orin told her. She stared at him for a long moment.</p><p>"She requested us," Neela repeated. Coco nodded.</p><p>"Yeah. That makes more sense," Coco agreed.</p><p>"Is she okay?" Orin inquired.</p><p>"She just needs some sleep," Neela assured him as she took a seat with both him and Nora.</p><p>"I guess we can begin since Glynda and Emerald are taking longer than I expected," Coco announced as she sat and slumped in her chair, laying her head on the table. She groaned, sitting up and pointing across the table at Nora.</p><p>"Me?" Nora asked.</p><p>"Yeah, go, let me know what all happened, anything that you think is important that you didn't tell me in small talk," Coco mumbled.</p><p>"We learned something about Paris, but it should probably wait until the students aren't here. More of a thing that the council probably needs to hear and decide on. Oh, but we found out that Paris is still hell-bent on killing Bái, so I guess there's that," Nora told them all.</p><p>"What is it about Bài that this guy despises so much?" Neela questioned.</p><p>"Maybe he knew her before she ended up coming here to Beacon?" Orin suggested.</p><p>"Even so, why would anyone have a reason to hate Bái?" Neela asked.</p><p>"Maybe for the same reason that our classmates pick on her?" Orin proposed. "Her powers work in a slightly different way than the rest of ours and that scares him." Coco looked at Nora with concern who mouthed 'later' to her.</p><p>"What about the two team leads?" Coco asked looking at the kids. Orin cleared his throat and sat up so that Neela would know he intended to speak first.</p><p>"Team NITE did a great job overall," Orin noted. "That being said, if I were the staff and, or, Neela, I would reprimand Eren with some kind of punishment. In addition to insubordination, he potentially placed all of us in more danger than was required, as well as almost causing us to fail our primary mission objective of allowing Emerald to find out the location in which Blood is hiding." Coco nodded slowly and looked into her empty thermos.</p><p>"I got enough of that to understand what you meant," she replied yawning. "Anything of note about Stardust themselves?" Orin gave a single nod.</p><p>"Of course," he continued. "Astra and Asteria both have identical fighting styles, however, Astra leads with her left foot and Asteria leads with her right, which is a bit curious for identical twins if you ask me, but I suppose that is what it is. Sirius's weapon appeared to be made out of a Grimm's spine, so I'm kind of wondering if we're wrong in his file that his Semblance is listed as Clairvoyance. Unless it is correct and someone else has a semblance that can preserve Grimm body parts… but I digress. Lastly, now that Orion doesn't have that gauntlet of his to use with his semblance, he has to think harder about how to use his ability, at least for the time being, and has a slight tell right before he's about to use it." Coco and Neela stared at him and blinked a few times, and Coco opened her mouth, trying to think of how to proceed.</p><p>"You noted all of those little details while fighting them?" Neela asked him.</p><p>"With a semblance like mine, I could just read their minds to find out that info, but it would be more of a distraction for me than anything. I let combat happen naturally and use my telepathy more usefully while observing the enemy and looking for anything that might give me even the slightest advantage," Orin told her.</p><p>"You two can talk shop later," Coco interrupted. "Neela, do you have anything of use that you'd like to add to all of that drabble?"</p><p>"I beg your pardon?" Orin replied.</p><p>"All I can say for certain are the two obvious observations that I made that I'm sure that you noticed by now," Neela answered. "Quake was on Dread, which means they're getting the stuff from somewhere and a little more readily available than last year since we never saw Stardust or any of Salem's Children use it before. The second thing would be that even without the Dread, Stardust was much stronger than any other time that we've faced off against them. I thought I heard someone say something about a gift from Salem?"</p><p>"Emerald and I discussed that last night, and it is a bit unnerving," Coco admitted. "Whatever Abigor did to</p><p>them or gave them, it seems like it worked. We've got to get ahead of the curve and stop them before this goes any further."</p><p>"And how do you propose we do that?" Glynda asked as she opened the door, entering the room in front of Blake and Emerald.</p><p>"Oh," Coco said. "Blake's here too. Anybody else showing up that I didn't specifically ask for?"</p><p>"Calm down, Coco. This is still my academy after all," Glynda reminded her. Coco nodded slowly.</p><p>"Right. Sorry. I'm a bit sleep-deprived," Coco admitted.</p><p>"Sounds more like paranoia," Glynda deduced. Coco frowned. "Neela and Orin are dismissed, I would hate for them to be late to their first class."</p><p>"But I've hardly finished giving my detailed observations," Orin interjected standing.</p><p>"I'm sure that Neela would be just as glad to hear them as Coco would have been," Glynda insisted motioning for Blake to open the door for them. Orin headed out first, grumbling, with Neela behind him, smiling at her mom.</p><p>"Have a good day," Blake whispered.</p><p>"Thanks!" Neela replied, letting her mother shut the door behind her.</p><p>"So how do we fix this?" Glynda asked. Coco groaned and sat up straight, trying her best to stay awake.</p><p>"Which part of it?" Coco inquired.</p><p>"Start where you wish, I'm sure that you've thought about fixing all of it, but is "all of it" in our capacity?" Glynda questioned.</p><p>"We'll see," Coco yawned as she stood. "Okay, so, first and foremost, I think we can all give ourselves quite the pat on the back for catching Quake and the majority of the Stardust Gang. We might not have nabbed Mercury again, but I'm under the impression that having the majority of them in jail is going to almost slow their activities to a halt. Next, I think we need to try and look into this whole "Salem giving away power" bull and try and find out what exactly that means, though I'm not entirely sure where to start with that or who with. I would normally have Amitola look into it, but I need her here at the school for night watch just as much as I need Emerald."</p><p>"Perhaps it would be best to start with Blood? And have you considered that the council might be able to offer you some help when you inform them later today?" Glynda suggested as she took a sip from her own mug of coffee. Coco paced the large table that had been set up in the middle of Glynda's office.</p><p>"Probably, if I had the slightest idea where this woman was," Coco noted. "Mercury can be dumb at times, but with him knowing full and well that we were coming, there's no way that he would have given us the actual location of her base."</p><p>"How did he know?" Blake interjected.</p><p>"Apparently he has his own illusionist who wasn't terribly fooled by me sneaking in," Emerald admitted.</p><p>"Do we know much about her?" Glynda pondered aloud.</p><p>"She fights with a meteor hammer, her illusions don't work like mine, and she has a creepy affinity for calling Mercury 'Master' and before you ask, not in a professional kind of way," Emerald offered. They all stared at her for a long moment.</p><p>"How did her illusions work?" Blake asked, restarting the conversation.</p><p>"Mine work with simply placing something into the environment that you're already in, or altering appearances, you know," Emerald explained. "Hers left me immobile and created an entirely new reality within my mind that I was convinced was real." Coco nodded.</p><p>"Sounds like a great time," Coco replied. Emerald shook her head.</p><p>"Not really," Emerald digressed.</p><p>"So with the Dread, she could potentially move while using her semblance," Blake pointed out.</p><p>"I think she already could without it, but it was hard to differentiate between reality and illusion," Emerald said.</p><p>"Do we know anything more about the Dread?" Nora interjected.</p><p>"Only thing we're pretty sure of at this point is that it's being mass-produced and marketed somehow," Coco offered. "We destroyed an entire truckload of the stuff during our fight with Jett, but not a single lead. Truck was unmarked. Didn't have a GPS and if it did, Yang made sure that it didn't when she was finished with it. Bit of a dead end with that."</p><p>"Maybe not," Blake said as she removed something from her clipboard and tossed it across the table to Coco. Coco snatched it up and looked it over.</p><p>"What is it?" Coco questioned.</p><p>"Raven was just as afraid of her enemies as they were of her," Blake explained. "Yang and I finally got around to going through her stuff the other day and it looks like she kept pretty detailed tabs on every one that might have had it out for her. Looks like after she and Neela took down those goons who were trying to sell Dread in the back room of the Crow Bar she was worried that the Dread manufacturers might come after her. She has one listing and it's a woman located in a town near an old abandoned lumber mill from back in the day."</p><p>"Assuming that this is up to date, this will come in quite handy," Coco chuckled shaking her head. "Just when we thought that Raven Branwen was finally done. Too bad we can't thank her for something for a change."</p><p>"I'm guessing that about sums everything up?" Emerald questioned.</p><p>"For the most part," Coco agreed. "Nora." She pointed at the woman. "I'm going to send you with Team CBLT to check out this lead on the Dread." Nora stood slowly.</p><p>"I'm flattered and all, but wouldn't it be better to send NITE?" Nora asked.</p><p>"If not for that Eren kid, yes," Glynda added. "But he's been more of a hassle than anything and we really can't afford to watch him constantly while out in the field. I still have faith that Team NITE will break him in, but it's yet to be seen."</p><p>"No word of Elli coming back?" Coco inquired.</p><p>"I've had Arslan speak with her a few times, but it sounds like Eliana has adjusted well and is getting on just fine," Glynda answered. Coco bit her lip. <em>If only we could say the same about Neela. </em>"Cobalt is serious enough when he needs to be and his teammates will keep him in check. Go out there and see what you can find out and if it gets to be too dangerous, leave the kids at the hotel or wherever you manage to stay."</p><p>"Can do!" Nora shouted with a salute as she headed for the door.</p><p>"Was that all that you needed from her?" Blake pondered out loud.</p><p>"Yes," Coco laughed nodding. With that Nora was gone, and Coco sat down again, looking a little less out of it.</p><p>"Anything else for us?" Glynda asked.</p><p>"I did have one more thing that I wanted to ask you," Coco told her. "Seeing as resources are thin at the school here which gives me very little to work with when Ruby throws things at me from her council meetings, I was wondering if you'd be alright with me borrowing a teacher or two from the other academies if they were able to spare any."</p><p>"I don't see why that would be an issue," Glynda replied.</p><p>"Great!" Coco exclaimed finding her feet again but noting that her balance was off. Emerald also stood and helped her from falling over, heading to the door with her. "Thanks for hearing me out. If you're interested in being there, I'll be calling the council at around ten or so."</p><p>"I'm good," Glynda waved her out.</p><p>"You doing okay?" Emerald asked heading down the hall with Coco.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine," Coco assured her. "Really just lost out on sleep last night, that's all. I know I can tell myself that I just had to figure everything out before my body would let me get some shut-eye, but Glynda's right. It's paranoia. I just… the way that Jett kept telling me that we'd always be one step behind followed by the fact that we couldn't get ahead last night. What if we stay one step behind until it's too late?"</p><p>"I'm sure you've got this," Emerald offered. "As long as we take advantage of that book from Raven and I can keep collecting intel, at some point we'll be able to cut them off." Coco chuckled and nodded her head.</p><p>"Yeah, I hope so," Coco noted.</p><p>"Hey…" Emerald said stopping as Coco continued on. The occupied woman looked back at her night watch guard, heading back to her to ask if something was wrong.</p><p>"You okay?" Coco inquired. Emerald avoided eye contact and looked away.</p><p>"Yeah…" Emerald managed. She laughed and shook her head. "Trying to take my own advice and it's more difficult than I thought it would be."</p><p>"What's that?" Coco questioned.</p><p>"I was… I… Hm…" Emerald stammered. She looked around, noting a Neo at a cubicle and using her semblance so that she couldn't hear them. "I was wondering if you could help me get a date!" Emerald more or less blurted it and Coco's eyes lit up as she took Emerald's hands.</p><p>"Who did you have in mind?!" Coco exclaimed.</p><p>"No one specifically," Emerald admitted. "But I thought that maybe now would be a good time to try and give dating a try." Coco giggled excitedly and bounced up and down.</p><p>"Yes! Everyone in the group is already married, so I haven't gotten to play matchmaker in such a long time!" Coco exhaled. "So what are we looking for then? Tall? Short? Lean? Thoughtful? Meathead? I've got enough single friends that we could definitely find a fit for you."</p><p>"Well, I was thinking female at the very least," Emerald laughed.</p><p>"That's a good start!" Coco declared. They went on their way down the hall, laughing as Coco's mind started working.</p><p>"Hey, Neo," May asked as she rounded the row of cubicles heading towards Glynda's office. "Who was that with Coco?" Neo rolled her eyes and pointed at her mouth before May handed her scroll over. Neo tapped away before handing it back to her.</p><p><em>Emerald. She's the new night watch.</em> May nodded and smirked before opening Glynda's door.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>May seems to be interested in Emerald, mayhaps? Next week, Chapter 18: Skyrim?</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Skyrim</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cobalt is finally awake. He was trying to cross the... Hey, wait a minute!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey, you. You're finally awake," a voice spoke as Cobalt did his best to open his eyes, but his head was throbbing with pain. Did someone hit him in the temple with something? "You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that White Fang ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."</p><p>"Lien is hard to come by these days," they said. Light flooded into Cobalt's eyes as he forced them open, the sky was red, unnerving him as he sat up slowly and let his equilibrium settle. There were two other people in the horse-pulled cart with him, all three of them had their wrists tied with twine. Cobalt had been laying in the middle of the two, Tawney was clearly the thief, she had her feet kicked up and was looking out at the dystopian cityscape where they were being taken down a beaten down alleyway that led to a secluded shelter of sorts.</p><p>"Was I trying to cross the border?" Cobalt asked him. "Everything is still a little bit fuzzy."</p><p>"I would assume as much," Xavier replied. "Being in this cart would mean you had to have been in that ambush."</p><p>"Quiet back there!" Orin yelled from up front. Xavier rolled his eyes and shook his head.</p><p>"Man, I was just trying to get out of the city," Xavier groaned. "I would have made it too if not for the fact that I was busy chasing her down. Lien's pretty much useless at this point anyway."</p><p>"Then why did you chase me to get it back?" Tawney shouted at him. "Should have just let me have it!"</p><p>"I said to quiet down!" Orin called back to them again. Cobalt shimmied over to the front of the cart and leaned forward.</p><p>"Where are we being taken to?" Cobalt asked him.</p><p>"How hard did they hit you in the head?" Orin asked looking ahead and stopping as two Fang members pulled open a large chain link fence. "This is the White Fang neighborhood of Vale and we're taking you to see Neela Jaeger."</p><p>"I know her!" Cobalt exclaimed. He sat back down relieved. Neela would be able to sort all of this out.</p><p>"I somehow doubt it," Orin insisted. The cart squeezed through the opening in the fence as Orin did his best to keep the horses calm, other members of the Fang rushing in to get a look at the captives and ask Orin how his trip was.</p><p>"Three more, huh?" Ivory asked as she glanced in the back. "At this rate, you might actually end up beating Crimson's record." Crimson rolled her eyes and chuckled as she moved to the back and threw the cart's tailgate open.</p><p>"As if," Crimson called out to the front. "Get out. Neela has no patience for humans."</p><p>"You don't have to do this," Xavier insisted. "You guys can look the other way and I will be out of Vale before you can even blink. I can give you all the lien in my pocket and all of the Dust that I have." Crimson laughed.</p><p>"Lien is useless, and we already confiscated your Dust," she remarked. She pulled them down off the wooden vehicle roughly and threw them to the ground, Xavier and Tawney landing on their feet while Cobalt planted onto his chest against the worn pavement. "Get up."</p><p>"What's going on!?" Cobalt demanded. "How does a guy go from sleeping in his warm, cozy, twin-sized bed in the dorms at Beacon, to being dragged through the sketchiest part of the city of Vale while absolutely nothing makes sense!"</p><p>
  <em>You didn't actually think we'd get through Year 2 without a few fantasies, did you?</em>
</p><p>"Of course!" Cobalt blurted out, laughing maniacally. "It's you! That's the only way this would add up! Can't you just write things as they should be and stop toying with me!?" Crimson and Orin stared at him as he appeared to be arguing with himself.</p><p>"Maybe we should just kill him now?" Orin suggested. Crimson shook her head and lifted him up, ushering them past the corner of the two buildings.</p><p>"Mistress Neela is busy and doesn't have time for you to linger," Crimson informed them. Once they passed the dilapidated brick storefronts and horses, Cobalt could see the scene more clearly. The park and surrounding blocks were quarantined off using some combination of fencing or overturned vehicles, Faunus roamed the street in groups of at least two, a few dotted the tops of buildings keeping watch over the space. She pushed them further into the park.</p><p>Neela sat in the middle on a "throne" that was made up of car parts that had been scavenged and decided were useless, with the seat itself appearing to be made of crude stone that was carved into the shape, or poorly formed earth Dust, but Cobalt was inclined to believe the former. On Neela's left stood Ebony who glared at the three of them intensely without once saying a word, and on her right Athena, whispering something in Neela's ear that elicited a subtle smirk.</p><p>"Greetings," Neela finally spoke, her voice carrying much farther than seemed reasonable and the entire park grew silent. "Did you really think that you were going to escape the city? I'm asking honestly, I enjoy hearing the flawed reasoning of humans before I send them to their demise."</p><p>"Yeah, I did!" Xavier blurted. Neela stood and began heading down her throne towards them. "I ain't staying around here to become one of those mindless Children of Salem! Getting out of Vale is the only way to avoid her right now, I was going to make it to the safe house in Mistal!" Neela smiled and nodded.</p><p>"And who placed such an absurd notion in your mind?" Neela questioned pacing around them. "Because the last I checked, Salem's reach is infinite. There is no escaping her children now. You either join… or you die… there is no third option."</p><p>"Then how do you explain the Hunters in the woods to the south of the city?" Tawney asked her. Neela stopped and chuckled, placing a hand on her face.</p><p>"Is that where you came from?" Neela inquired.</p><p>"What? No!" Tawney exclaimed. "I don't even think they're really there. I rummaged around the countryside down there for months avoiding Grimm and Salem's Army, but I didn't find anything."</p><p>"Good," Neela informed her. She bit the fingernail on her thumb as she looked at them. "Now what to do with the three of you. There are really only two options from this point, and you escapee types hardly ever choose the high road. I might as well finish you off now and save Salem the trouble."</p><p>"What's our option aside from death?" Cobalt asked. Neela's face slipped into a confused expression as she stared past him before turning slightly to meet his eyes.</p><p>"Joining Salem's Army," Neela explained. "From what I've been told it's a rather painful experience that bleaches your skin like her own, and strips away all of your humanity. The only thing left is a husk that craves destruction and that bends to Salem's every whim."</p><p>"Is there a third option?" Cobalt requested. Neela rolled her eyes and waved him off.</p><p>"No." She flatly responded.</p><p>"I ain't sticking around for either of those things!" Xavier shouted as he struggled against the restraints on his hands and Ivory grappled him, driving him to his knees. "Just let me go! Let us all go! You're not in agreement with Salem, why are you even doing this?" Neela walked to him and tightly gripped his jaw.</p><p>"The Fang will do whatever they need to in order to survive," Neela whispered.</p><p>"Even listening to a human?" Xavier bit back. Neela shoved him back.</p><p>"She's hardly a human," Neela noted. "She's a monster."</p><p>"So then why not let us go?!" Xavier yelled. Neela rubbed the bridge of her nose as she stood up straight again.</p><p>"Shut up," Neela groaned.</p><p>"I've got too much to live for to become some kind of Grimm zombie, and I'm not going to die here or in the rest of the kingdom at Salem's hand," Xavier informed her.</p><p>"For the love of The Brothers, stop talking," Neela demanded rubbing her temples.</p><p>"You're just afraid of Salem too, right?" Xavier asked. "Join us in the south and we can fight her together!" He stared at her for a second, recognizing the fact that he made a terrible mistake.</p><p>"Join the humans in the south?" Neela spoke. "Join the humans in the south?! Those humans?! They're the real monsters here! What has Salem ever done compared to what you took from me!?"</p><p>"Mistress," Ebony interrupted.</p><p>"You know what," Neela stated, her chest heaving. "I've decided for you whether you're going to live or die." Her eyes narrowed and lit up. "I choose death!" Neela drew her sword, her body-swapping places with Athena at the last second as Athena's sword plunged deep into Xavier. Neela watched on wildly as she tried to regain her composure.</p><p>"Are you alright, Mistress?" Athena questioned as she wiped her blade off, Xavier's body collapsing to the ground. Neela nodded, her semblance deactivating as she looked at her hands.</p><p>"I lost my temper, I apologize," Neela softly replied.</p><p>"It was an understandable reaction," Athena offered. Their bodies swapped spots once again.</p><p>"Orin, please remove this human from my sight, he displeases me," Neela ordered.</p><p>"Right away, mistress," Orin said, rushing quickly in and dragging Xavier's corpse away.</p><p>"Anyone else have anything to say on the matter?" Neela inquired. Tawney and Cobalt exchanged glances, but neither of them was going to ask about what the southern humans did to her, even if she had piqued their interest. "Good. Silence translates to a willingness to cooperate."</p><p>"Did you see that?" A voice asked as a chill filled the air and footsteps could be heard coming towards them. From the first floor of one of the crumbling buildings came two figures from out of the dark, their skin white with red veins, the same as Salem. Cobalt recognized them immediately.</p><p>"It appears that they killed one of the captives," Natalia replied to Titus as the continued unchallenged towards Neela. They approached the throne, stopping just behind Cobalt and Tawney, with Natalia grabbing Tawney by the hair and yanking her back. "This one's in good shape."</p><p>"As was the other one," Titus noted, folding his arms. "They're not yours to kill."</p><p>"He was determined to choose death either way," Neela informed them. "I was simply making your jobs easier."</p><p>"Is that your call to make?" Natalia fired back. Neela gritted her teeth.</p><p>"Just take them and leave," Neela growled as she began to move back to her throne.</p><p>"Don't you feel you should be reprimanded for your behavior?" Titus questioned. "Besides, it is by Salem's will alone that all of you haven't been assimilated into her army." Titus paused for a moment, noting a young girl near Neela's throne, peeking out from behind it. "Who is this?" Neela noted Shadow and stepped between Titus and the girl.</p><p>"I've adopted her as my sister," Neela informed him. "We found her in the no man's zone between the city and those rogues in the south. She said that her family had been killed and she was badly injured in a building that was close to collapsing."</p><p>"A shame really, but no matter how sad that story might seem to all of you, is she on the registry?" Titus asked. "Any unregistered Faunus within these confines is subject to detainment by our army, and I don't recall you having any available roster openings."</p><p>"Afraid of what would happen if there's too many of us?" Neela chuckled with a smirk.</p><p>"We do not feel fear," Natalia explained. "It is a formality that we ask, part of the agreement that you made with our Queen. If you have more than the roster allows then our deal is off, and your precious 'family' must assimilate into Salem's Army."</p><p>"Ebony!" Neela shouted, glaring at the two military members the entire time. "Fetch the registry, if you would." Ebony nodded and sprinted off towards one of the buildings, arguing with a few of the men that watched over all of the things that were to be kept safe, threatening to kill one of them if he didn't hand it over to her immediately. "Will you be on your way once I prove to you that she can be here?"</p><p>"Of course," Natalia assured her. "We have better things to do than to waste our day here."</p><p>"We'll even let you keep the humans," Titus added. Neela exhaled hard, they didn't care that she killed Xavier, they simply wanted a reason to check her roster.</p><p>"Here it is, Mistress!" Ebony declared handing it over to Neela who took it for a moment and viewed the contents.</p><p>"Thank you," Neela replied as she handed the document over to the two in front of her. Neela's eyes lit up and she glanced at them, backflipping away as both of their heads were suddenly removed by some sort of invisible force. Gasps and screams filled the air as they all looked around, hands grasping weapons as they prepared to fight. "Stay alert!"</p><p>"What was that?!" Cobalt demanded as he glanced at Tawney who was frantically looking to and fro.</p><p>"I admire your resolve," a voice thundered through the confines. "You knew that she wasn't on the roster but you handed it over all the same. What was your plan after that? Was it the same as mine? The officers can't be killed, you know? Much like Salem, they would have to have the destruction purged out of them, in a few minutes they'll reattach their heads and be a little more than upset with you."</p><p>"Show yourself," Neela demanded as she slowly paced, keeping her back to Shadow to make sure the girl stayed safe. A cloaked figure walked through the front gate, throwing back her hood before flashing her signature smile.</p><p>"Hey, Little Hawk," Eliana spoke. Cobalt's eyes lit up.</p><p>"Yes! Brilliant! Perfect!" Cobalt exclaimed.</p><p>"Elli…" Neela managed, her eyes filled with wonder. Cobalt glanced at the two of them.</p><p>"It just feels right, you know?" Cobalt said to Tawney. She looked at him, confused.</p><p>"You really are new here, aren't you?" She shot back.</p><p>"Huh?" Cobalt inquired. Neela's eyes filled with rage as she shoved past Cobalt and approached Eliana.</p><p>"Lower your weapons!" Neela commanded. "This one's mine."</p><p>"Is that how you thank me for saving your life?" Eliana asked her.</p><p>"Are you here to finish this?" Neela growled. "Because I don't know why else you would be stupid enough to walk into my home after what your father did to me!"</p><p>"It was self-defense, your parents attacked first!" Eliana rebutted.</p><p>"He shouldn't have been in White Fang territory!" Neela shouted.</p><p>"Maybe the White Fang shouldn't be so quick on the draw!" Eliana yelled louder.</p><p>"Mistress…" Athena spoke loudly enough for Neela to hear.</p><p>"No!" Neela called back, glaring daggers at her. "This one is mine to kill!"</p><p>"This is not how I saw this going down in my head," Cobalt noted.</p><p>"We don't have to do this," Eliana informed her. "If we joined forces we could work together to take down Salem!"</p><p>"There is no taking down Salem," Neela bit. "You said before that something would have to purge the darkness out of her, but ever since she was resurrected there hasn't been any word or sign of Ruby Rose still being alive. Don't you think she would have come by now if she was?"</p><p>"Fine," Eliana dismissed her. "I'll be taking Xavier and leaving."</p><p>"He's dead, and you aren't going anywhere," Neela stated.</p><p>"Don't do this," Eliana pled.</p><p>"I don't want anyone to interfere with this fight," Neela roared out to her followers. "Just you and me now."</p><p>"I guess it is," Eliana admitted sadly. Neela activated her semblance, her eyes lighting up as she removed her sword and brought it down on Eliana but it glanced off of one of her forcefields. Neela slid back, loading an arrow and firing it, watching it explode between the two of them as Eliana had shot it out of the air.</p><p>"As surreal as this is, and fun to watch it might be, now's probably the best time for you and me to high tail it out of here," Cobalt suggested as he began sneaking away on his knees. "This would be so much easier if I could stand."</p><p>"What will you do once Salem's followers put themselves back together?" Eliana inquired. One of her forcefields managed to glance off of Neela's arm, giving her a surface cut that was quite noticeable. Neela looked at her in shock, though she blocked the next several attacks. "So despite that ability, some attacks are still unavoidable, huh?"</p><p>"We will help if we need to!" Crimson shouted out.</p><p>"No!" Neela huffed, trying to find an opening to go on the offensive. "I would rather die if I have to, I wouldn't forgive myself if one of you had to assist me!"</p><p>"It's dangerous to be that way," Eliana noted. "If it's really that important to you to kill me, let them all come at me at once." Neela stared for a moment before charging at her and repeatedly slashing her sword against Eliana's forcefield.</p><p>"What are you playing at!?" Neela yelled. "Do you want to die?"</p><p>"My dying will satisfy your lust for death and revenge, but it won't bring back your parents or my father, and will ultimately lead to the entire kingdom being overrun by Salem," Eliana explained. "There will be no one to lead the south and once I'm out of the way and Salem takes my people, you're the only thing preventing her from having the rest of Vale for herself."</p><p>"We have an agreement," Neela huffed, finally managing to breakthrough. Eliana sidestepped and hit her with an electric rod attached to her pistols. Neela squirmed and stumbled away.</p><p>"Who will there be left to turn in trying to cross the border?" Eliana asked. Neela stopped and looked her over. "No one."</p><p>"It… it doesn't matter, we can take her!" Neela announced. Her followers cheered.</p><p>"Can you? By yourselves? We can add to your numbers, Neela," Eliana tried to convince her. "You don't have to agree with us, just tolerate us long enough to stop her here and help us find Ruby so she can bring an end to all of this." Cobalt stopped his escape for a moment to watch and Tawney bumped into him.</p><p>"Keep moving," Tawney demanded.</p><p>"Wait," Cobalt noted. He watched Eliana and Neela standing across from each other.</p><p>"I…" Neela began. She sheathed her sword. "Once this is all done, I will kill you." Eliana smiled and nodded.</p><p>"Sure," Eliana replied warmly. Out of the corner of his eye, Cobalt saw Crimson charging towards the two of them with her weapon drawn.</p><p>"No!" Cobalt shouted. <em>This is a dream, right?</em></p><p>
  <em>Yeah…?</em>
</p><p>"Za Warudo!" Cobalt shouted. <em>One second has passed… two seconds have passed… </em>"Why is she still moving?"</p><p>
  <em>I mean it is a dream, but you're just kind of in the backseat right now…</em>
</p><p>"Eliana, watch out!" Cobalt shouted. Neela stopped Crimson short of reaching her target. "Oh thank goodness." Without warning, Athena swapped spots with Neela and ran Eliana clean through with her blade. "OH MY GOD!"</p><p>"Athena, Crimson…" Neela began. "What do you think you're doing?"</p><p>"She had somehow fooled you with her silver tongue," Athena replied.</p><p>"We had to protect you," Crimson added.</p><p>"And you explicitly did what I told you not to…" Neela spoke. She slowly approached them, seeming calm. She stopped short as movement caught her eye and Shadow yelled to her.</p><p>"Sissy!" Shadow called. Neela looked back, noting that Titus and Natalia were reattaching their heads to their bodies.</p><p>"Did you see what happened?" Titus asked.</p><p>"No, but it was quite annoying," Natalia replied.</p><p>"I feel as though they've betrayed Salem's agreement," Titus noted.</p><p>"It would seem so," Natalia agreed.</p><p>"So it begins?" Titus questioned. Natalia nodded as they both knelt.</p><p>"Die." The two placed their hands on the ground, a pool of black tar forming beneath them as Grimm started to crawl out at an uncanny rate.</p><p>"Bad!" Cobalt shouted. Titus stood, marching over to Shadow before Neela could reach him and grappling her.</p><p>"We'll be taking her as reparation," Titus stated. His body was shrouded in dark black flames before he disappeared.</p><p>"Shadow!" Neela shouted. She charged Natalia who pulled her arm back and used her semblance to crack Neela's ribs while also breaking her aura. Crimson and Athena charged her immediately only to be impaled by large dark crystals, effectively killing them immediately. Ebony shrouded Natalia within her sphere as she sprinted to Neela and tried to help her up.</p><p>"We have to get you out of here," Ebony instructed.</p><p>"I can't leave without Shadow," Neela grunted, managing to find her feet but seething in pain the entire time.</p><p>"She's gone already, we need to save face!" Ebony informed her. Orin and Ivory flew in towards Natalia as the sphere broke.</p><p>"Salem's power knows no bounds!" Natalia thundered. Some of the other members fought off Grimm as they tried to clear a path for Neela to leave.</p><p>"Go, Mistress!" They yelled to her.</p><p>"Shadow!" Neela shouted again.</p><p>"Well this couldn't get any worse," Cobalt stated. There was a crack of thunder and lightning behind him and he turned around slowly to find Salem looming over him.</p><p>"Can't it?" She asked.</p><p>"Mommy…" He whimpered.</p><hr/><p>"I have got to lay off on eating before bed from now on," Cobalt noted as he walked through the breakfast line with Tawney, collecting food on their trays. "Haven't had one of those crazy dreams in quite some time. Then, last night, I had a peanut butter sandwich before bed, and wham! Crazy dream."</p><p>"What happened after Salem showed up?" Tawney asked. He gave her a sideways look. "What?"</p><p>"Out of all of the dreams that I've had, this one piqued your interest?" Cobalt questioned.</p><p>"Yeah," she said with a shrug. "It was solid enough in concept." He smirked and nodded.</p><p>"It was pretty good, but sadly that was the end of it," he informed her. She picked up an apple and took a bite out of it, chewing on it for a few seconds before stepping out of the line far enough that she could throw it into the trash can at the end of the kitchen. "What was that all about!?"</p><p>"Wasn't sure if I wanted an apple or not," Tawney told him.</p><p>"I wonder about you sometimes," Cobalt sighed as he placed bacon onto his tray.</p><p>"And here we are wondering about you all the time," she snickered. He rolled his eyes and shook his head as he took a piece of toast and watched her do the same, putting it up to her mouth instead. He grabbed her wrist.</p><p>"If you don't want that one, just give it to me instead of tossing it across the room," he instructed. She stared at him for a long moment and nodded.</p><p>"Okay," she replied.</p><p>"Did you hear that Team NITE had themselves quite the time last night?" Cobalt asked her as they grabbed their milk and made their way to the guys' table.</p><p>"I don't want to talk about it," Tawney grumbled. "We never get to do anything like they do and it really chafes me." They sat down, Cobalt noting Lykos but also acknowledging that Titus was nowhere to be found.</p><p>"Where's the big guy?" Cobalt questioned.</p><p>"Having breakfast with Natalia," Lykos said without looking up from his scroll. Cobalt and Tawney looked at each other before looking back at him.</p><p>"Great, another couple," Tawney groaned.</p><p>"Since when are you on your scroll so much?" Cobalt inquired. Lykos chuckled and put it away.</p><p>"I'm not, just had a message from Bái that I needed to answer," Lykos explained. Tawney groaned again.</p><p>"No one is stopping you from finding a significant other," Cobalt told her. She glanced up at him and tossed her toast onto his tray.</p><p>"I know, just waited for the right person, you know?" She told him. In unison, all of their scrolls went off. Cobalt glanced at them before taking his out and checking it.</p><p>"Apparently Coco and Nora want to see us once breakfast is over," Cobalt said. "Something about a field mission…"</p><p>"Field mission!? Like off-campus?! Outside of Vale city limits!?" Tawney exclaimed. Cobalt shrugged.</p><p>"Possibly?" He suggested.</p><p>"Where are the ladies sitting, I'm gonna go rub it in Neela's face!" Tawney stated as she stood, nearly knocking over Lykos's milk.</p><p>"Bái and Ilia are over there, not sure where Neela is, apparently Glynda needed to see her this morning," Lykos offered. Tawney sat back down and slammed her tray.</p><p>"Dammit!" Tawney shouted.</p><p>"Can we sit with you guys?" Xavier asked, approaching Cobalt. Cobalt looked at him and Yin and nodded.</p><p>"Sure, why not?" Cobalt said.</p><p>"He's hiding," Yin laughed.</p><p>"When have you ever known me to hide?" Xavier grumbled.</p><p>"Then why aren't we sitting with Nat?" Yin asked.</p><p>"Titus is over there with her and there isn't that much room, to begin with," Xavier stated.</p><p>"But Orin isn't there this morning, it would be the same amount of room," Yin explained.</p><p>"Maybe I just want to meet some of the first years," Xavier suggested.</p><p>"Vincent's here," Yin told him. Xavier sat straight up and glanced around. "Sure you're not hiding?"</p><p>"Yin, come on man," Xavier said.</p><p>"What's actually happening here?" Cobalt inquired.</p><p>"X tried to make a move on Ilia," Xavier explained shoving a forkful of eggs into his mouth.</p><p>"Not what happened," Xavier stated.</p><p>"What happened then?" Tawney asked.</p><p>"I offered to walk with her back to the dorms, but I think she might have taken it the wrong way… or someone else did…" Xavier detailed.</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Yin questioned.</p><p>"I've been hearing it circulating around the halls," Yin mentioned.</p><p>"I heard you tried to hit on Ilia last night," Vincent said standing behind them with Rowan.</p><p>"He didn't," Lykos spoke up shocking the others. "Back off."</p><p>"Wasn't addressing you," Vincent fired back. Lykos smirked and stood up.</p><p>"He offered to walk her back to the dorms," Lykos clarified. "You'd rather that she walked alone in the dark?" Vincent stared at him for a long moment.</p><p>"Why don't you stay out of it?" Vincent asked, putting his hand on Xavier's shoulder.</p><p>"So you would rather she walked alone in the dark?" Xavier inquired.</p><p>"You should probably answer the question," Yin suggested.</p><p>"Don't talk to her again," Vincent demanded.</p><p>"You sound pretty insecure," Yin replied. Rowan and Vincent glanced at each other.</p><p>"What?" Vincent inquired.</p><p>"You don't trust her to talk to other guys?" Xavier repeated. Vincent pulled him to his feet.</p><p>"Just not you, asshole!" Vincent shouted. Ilia looked up from her breakfast to see what was going on and moved quickly.</p><p>"Vin!" Ilia yelled before he managed to land a blow in Xavier's stomach.</p><p>"There was a meta-joke here in the original edit," Cobalt said to himself. "And I'm under the impression the author is going to forget to mention it in his notes this week."</p><p>"Ilia!" He exclaimed smiling and shoving Xavier away. "I was just coming in to have breakfast with you."</p><p>"He only offered to walk me back to the dorms, there was nothing to it," Ilia told him, dragging him away. "Leave him alone." Rowan looked at them all before shrugging and leaving, heading out the way he came in.</p><p>"Thanks," Xavier told Lykos.</p><p>"Don't mention it," Lykos replied.</p><p>"I'm guessing today is going to be pretty crazy," Cobalt stated, taking another bite of his breakfast.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another crazy Cobalt fantasy. Cobalt's only half right. There was a meta-joke, but since I wrote it nearly a year ago and it was conditional on the fact that I had the names of two characters accidentally swapped in the scene, I removed it and I don't recall what it was. Next week, Chapter 19: Shower!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Shower</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Neela finally commits to calling Eliana, but does she get ahold of her?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You can do this Neela, this is nothing," Neela hyped herself up as she sat on her bed alone in the dorm room. "You fought the leader of the White Fang, you took down a criminal wanted by several kingdoms, this really shouldn't be the hardest thing that you do all year." Neela looked at her scroll and her hand shook as she attempted to dial Eliana's number before standing up and pacing around the room. "Maybe I can't do it, I mean, it's not like the last time I talked to her things went well, and what if things get worse? I know that Emerald said I need to cross that bridge and try to move on with my life, but I don't know if I can do it." She breathed deeply and sat back down.</p><p>
  <em>Calm down, Neela. You can do this, you got this. You've already said this, now you're just talking in circles.</em>
</p><p>"Okay, here we go. Time to take that leap I guess…" Neela told herself. She made the call and waited with bated breath, listening to it ring repeatedly. There was nothing to worry about, but Neela should have figured that much. She hadn't tried calling in the last month to try and let her mind settle since every time that she thought about Eliana, her semblance would act up and her body would shut down completely. A few more rings and at the very least Neela would be able to say that she tried. The majority of Neela hoped and prayed Eliana would pick up and at least hear her out, she felt like her confession of love had come at the absolute worst time, and she didn't say more than a few words to Eliana when they saved each other from the Chameleon. Why was it still ringing?</p><p>By now her machine would have picked up usually, she'd hear Eliana's voice, happy as could be, her greeting unchanged from what it had been while she was at Beacon. <em>Hey there! This is Eliana Latherus! If I didn't pick up, it's likely that I'm with Neela… Yeah, that's the only place I would be, haha. Leave a message after the beep and I'll call you back when we're done hanging!</em> Did that mean that Eliana was actively silencing her calls? Is that why it was ringing for an eternity this time? Was Eliana away from her scroll? Could it please stop ringing!? Neela could hear her pulse thundering in her head. <em>Stop, I know she's not there!</em></p><p>Suddenly the ringing ended, and the scroll clicked like someone had answered.</p><p>"Hello?" A voice answered.</p><p>"Eliana?" Neela spoke softly. "Listen, Eliana, don't hang up! I need you to hear me out for a minute. I get it, okay. I understand that when I told you that I loved you that we were both going through a lot at that moment and I felt like if I didn't tell you that I'd lose you forever… but now I'm just hoping that it wasn't my telling you how I felt that drove you away. I need you to- I want you to come back, Elli. I can be your Little Hawk again, everything can go back to normal. We've all forgiven you, and Shadow doesn't even know what happened, she was asleep the entire time. Can we be friends again?" Neela waited a second for a reply. "Even if we just go back to talking to each other, it would be better than nothing."</p><p>"This is Neela, right?" The voice asked. Neela's heart crashed, stopping instantly as she realized that someone other than Eliana had been subjected to her heartfelt rant.</p><p>"Yes…" Neela slowly replied. "Who… why do you have Eliana's scroll?"</p><p>"Oh, how inconsiderate of me," they said with a laugh that annoyed Neela. "I'm one of Eliana's teammates, her new team leader in fact. My name's Fade. It's so nice to talk to you, it's safe to say that Eliana talks about you more than any other person from her past." <em>From her past? What kind of phrasing is that?</em></p><p>"Really?" Neela optimistically questioned.</p><p>"Yes! She's told me all of the amazing things that you did together and that you did for her," Fade explained. "However, she also told me that she doesn't want to speak with you." Neela's mind blanked, everything fading to black around her as she stood up from sitting on the bed and stared out the window into the void. "I can tell that she did something to you that must have really hurt the two of you, but she says that she thinks it's better if you don't talk anymore."</p><p>"That… that can't be true," Neela said coldly.</p><p>"I'd let her tell you, but I think it would do more damage than good," Fade insisted.</p><p>"Let me talk to her," Neela demanded.</p><p>"Didn't you hear me?" Fade questioned, sounding confused.</p><p>"I heard you, but I want to hear it from her," Neela informed her.</p><p>"You'd rather cause her more pain?" Fade asked.</p><p>"Put her on!" Neela demanded.</p><p>"As soon as I get out of the shower with her I will!" Fade shouted into the scroll before hanging up. Neela looked at her scroll, the words worming their way into her brain. <em>As soon as I get out of the shower with her I will… No… No that couldn't be… But, why else would she say that?</em> Neela stumbled as her scroll slipped from her hands. Her head was pounding. <em>As soon as I get out of the shower with her…</em> It echoed through her body, reverberating loudly. <em>But…</em> Neela's semblance activated and everything stopped. It was out of control and she had no hope of keeping it in check. Time came to a crawl. She could see everything in the building, happening in slow motion. Natalia and Titus were coming up the stairs from breakfast to see if she was on her way to class yet. Natalia was about to drop her pencil to see if Titus would pick it up for her. He was planning to.</p><p>Tawney was hitting Cobalt in the arm for something stupid, and he had no intention of telling her to stop. Ilia was scolding Vin as they passed by on the sidewalk below, Vin struggling to keep up as she was walking ahead of him. Other students in their dorms getting dressed, showering, bickering, sleeping, turning off alarms, making out, all in slow motion, all invading Neela's mind… but Eliana was nowhere to be found and that's what her mind was looking for. She broke out in a cold sweat, doubling over and breathing hard. She needed it to stop… how did she make it stop?!</p><p><em>They'll always betray you…</em> The words sounded real like someone was speaking them then and there. Time stuttered for a few seconds and Neela found her feet. Quiet. She needed silence. She needed to get away. She raced down the hall, tears streaming down her face, her scroll still laying on the floor of the dorm room. She nearly crashed into Titus and Natalia.</p><p>"Sorry!" Neela exhaled almost tumbling the rest of the way down. Titus watched her head down the rest of the way before handing Natalia's pencil back to her.</p><p>"That's a bad sign," Titus sighed.</p><p>"Should we go after her?" Natalia questioned.</p><p>"I think it'd be better if we give her some space this time," Titus admitted. "She can't do any more damage than blacking out. If she's not back in a few hours, we'll go look for her." Natalia nodded.</p><p>Neela crashed out of the dorm building, wiping tears from her eyes, unsure immediately of where she was sprinting to, but she needed to get away. There was one place that came to mind that was quiet and safe. She could head there. It was just a bit into the woods.</p><p>"Neela!?" Orin called out but she completely disregarded him, heading into the forest. He rubbed his chin.</p><p>"Where was she heading so quickly?" Yin questioned.</p><p>"I'm not sure, though I know that Mrs. Adel said that she's been having some personal problems," Orin explained.</p><p>"Anything specifically?" Yin inquired. Orin shook his head.</p><p>"Coco didn't divulge any more information than I needed to know," Orin said.</p><p><em>Out of the shower with her…</em> The words continued ringing even as she entered the woods and maneuvered her way into the dark cavern. Eliana had already found someone else? Was the problem that Neela had waited too long? Was this all her own doing? She had to calm down, it couldn't be possible… she couldn't breathe, her chest heaved as her mind reeled. <em>It's the same pain as when she left…</em></p><p>But she knew that it was totally plausible, especially with the Eliana she'd come to know and fall in love with. She was whimsical and carefree, someone easily could have swept her off of her feet if they tried hard enough… All Neela had done was tell Eliana she loved her at a time that Eliana had far more important things on her mind, like where her mom was and what she had done. Neela looked around the small cave, the light from the opening bouncing off of the Dust crystals and scattering about, like the memories of this place in her mind. The two of them passing out here on more than one occasion, leaving everyone to wonder what happened… but it definitely wasn't as severe as taking a shower together… that was something Neela wanted to do with Eliana…</p><p>"If only you'd listened," came a voice from the darkness. Neela looked up to see Athena leaning against the wall, her arms folded. "You could have saved yourself all of this pain and the Faunus wouldn't be damned to living under the humans until the end of time."</p><p>"Your views were skewed," Neela dismisses her. "You can't hurt me, you're just in my head."</p><p>"Isn't that almost worse?" Athena questioned. "Just give in Neela, you've had more than enough of them, haven't you? She hasn't even been gone for a full six months, to think that she moved on so quickly."</p><p>"We weren't… we weren't actually a thing… I can't blame her," Neela replied turning away but found that Athena was in front of her again.</p><p>"She's supposed to be yours, or have you forgotten?" Athena asked. "She said that she'd never leave. The two of you have so many memories together, several of them here. You're just going to let her slip through your fingers?" Athena laughed and shook her head. "If you let this happen then what was it all for? All the long nights, all the fantasies, all the memories? Reach out and take what belongs to you, Neela!" The room shattered around Neela and she was back in the dorm, Eliana stood before her in nothing more than her undergarments.</p><p>"Do you think I'm cute, Neela?" Eliana asked.</p><p>"Of course I do!" Neela shouted at her.</p><p>"Tell me again!" Eliana giggled.</p><p>"You're beautiful, Elli!" Neela said approaching her. Eliana's smile turned into a crooked smile.</p><p>"Good," Eliana told her. Eliana stabbed her with a knife in the back and Neela wretched at the pain. "I got what I wanted. You can leave."</p><p>"Elli…" Neela stammered as she fell to her knees.</p><p>"They'll always betray you," Athena repeated.</p><p>"This…" Neela gasped. She needed to catch her breath and keep her wits about her.</p><p>"Give in…" Athena breathed. <em>This is all in my head. I need to stop this or I'll pass out again!</em></p><p>"You're not real! You're in my head!" Neela shouted at her struggling to her feet. She unsheathed her sword and swung around, breaking several of the crystals.</p><p>"Your semblance wouldn't be so uncontrollable if only she'd stayed, yet another thing that the girl is at fault for!" Athena yelled at her.</p><p>"I need to pull myself out…" Neela managed, her breath ragged. She saw Eliana and herself, laying on the floor with each other as they stared up at the ceiling.</p><p>"<em>Is that an idea you've had?" Neela asked her genuinely.</em></p><p>"<em>I mean, I can't run away without you, Neela. I have a thousand scenarios that have sprinted through my head, you know?" Eliana noted as she stood up and paced the small opening in front of Neela. "Running away would be the best, you know? Maybe we just wander the countryside, we could still help people that way and we wouldn't be restricted by the government or academies. We do that for a few years, or maybe a decade or so, and then we settle down and find ourselves spouses. Get married, houses right next to each other."</em></p><p>"<em>What if we just married each other?" Neela replied blushing as she looked away.</em></p><p>"<em>Huh," Eliana stated blankly staring at the ceiling. "I'd never thought of that as an option… our kids would be cute. Imagine if we had a little girl! She'd be a badass just like you and whimsical like me! She'd be perfect!"</em></p><p>"<em>We could name her Alexandria," Neela offered with a smile. Eliana looked at Neela for a long moment with a tear in her eye.</em></p><p>"<em>You might be a little too good at this 'what if' game," Eliana laughed, wiping her eyes.</em></p><p>"Elli…" Neela whimpered.</p><p>"Give up, Neela," Neela's doppelganger instructed her.</p><p>"What's the point of all of this?" Neela asked as she found her feet.</p><p>"You know that you made a mistake and you're punishing yourself," the fake replied. "Isn't that rather obvious?" She shook her head and pushed the real Neela back to her knees.</p><p>"No," Neela refused. "I was told it was because I'm subconsciously looking for Eliana."</p><p>"Isn't that better than telling you the truth?" The clone chuckled. "I bet it was a human that told you that too."</p><p>"Just stop it!" Neela demanded. As she found her feet again, she was tackled by someone and the scene shifted again. She was falling off of the cliff, and Raven was the one that had tackled her.</p><p>"If not for Eliana I would still be alive!" Raven shouted at her.</p><p>"Enough!" Neela called out again. She continued to fall. The scene wasn't going to change, was it? She'd hit the bottom. Then hopefully, by some miracle, she would wake up. And if she didn't? The best she could hope for is that they'd find her unconscious by the end of the day.</p><p><em>Out of the shower with her…</em> Neela was back in the cave again and she swung her sword again, but this time in pure rage. She broke several crystals for real this time, and to her luck, they were gravity Dust and they didn't set off a chain reaction. She was thrown back into a wall. Her aura broke and her body ached, watching as the fractals dropped to the floor. Neela's mind panicked. <em>No! What did I do!?</em> She crawled across the floor and curled up in the middle, staring into the darkness of the small cavern.</p><p>
  <em>Elli… I… I still love you…</em>
</p><hr/><p>"As soon as I get out of the shower with her I will!" Fade more or less screamed into the scroll before hanging it up, glaring at the device as her body heaved and she tried catching her breath. What the hell was this girl's problem that she couldn't even take a hint?! Fade shook her head and set the scroll down, glancing across the room at Desirae who was reading in her bed, watching Fade the entire time. She shook her head. "Don't say a word to Eliana, got it?!"</p><p>"How long do you plan on chasing after her?" Desirae asked. Fade gritted her teeth before quickly picking the scroll back up and deleting the recent call history. "She doesn't seem all that into you, Fade. You might always get what you want, but you can't make people love you."</p><p>"Everyone has a vice. Money, gifts, sex. Whatever I have to do to get Eliana, I'll do it," Fade told her. "I swear if you tell her, things won't end well for you."</p><p>"What are you going to do, Fade?" Desirae asked as she closed the book. "The headmaster doesn't tolerate bullying or violence, so it seems that those options are off the table."</p><p>"With the money and resources I have at my disposal…" Fade notified her with a twisted smile. "I could spread a rumor about you with enough credibility to make sure you never leave the slums of Haven ever again." Desirae trembled and felt the determination and heat flee her body. She shakily reopened the book and ignored Fade. "Wise decision." Fade turned towards the bathroom and slowly approached the door, knocking on it.</p><p>"I'm in here!" Eliana called back out over the running water.</p><p>"Just wanted to let you know we need to get a move on if we want to get there in time," Fade told her. "Mind if I come in?"</p><p>"Yes I do mind, and no we're not," Eliana replied. "That might have worked if you were my mom, but I'm well aware of what time it is and how long I've been in here for." Fade groaned.</p><p>"Are you sure I can't come in?" Fade pled. "I still have to get ready and it takes me forever to get my makeup perfect." Eliana sighed and shook her head. The glass door was frosted enough that Fade wouldn't be able to make out anything, ever since that time they'd both been in the locker room shower together, Eliana tried to avoid letting the girl see her naked, though maybe she was overreacting. Fade just gave off a sort of… vibe…</p><p>Ever since she decided that she felt the same about Neela, she found herself a little more attracted to women, and a little more embarrassed of flaunting about in the locker room. If only she hadn't ruined everything… she'd still be back with Neela… <em>with </em>Neela… which was the entire reason she was taking a cold shower this morning instead of a warm one like she normally did. She really had to stop having those dreams...</p><p>"Elli!" Fade called again.</p><p>"Sure! Yeah! Fine!" Eliana replied. Fade slipped into the bathroom, Eliana could make her out but just barely, lingering for a while with her body slightly bent and head tilted. "Keep staring and I'll have to start charging." Fade sputtered, which turned into a full-blown cough as she approached the sink.</p><p>"I don't know what you're talking about," Fade denied.</p><p>"Hey, I have a question for you," Eliana began.</p><p>"Okay…" Fade bit.</p><p>"Was my scroll ringing at all while I was in here?" Eliana inquired. "I have really specific ringtones for my contacts and thought I heard it going off. Probably sounded like some birds chirping at each other?"</p><p>"I didn't hear anything, but I can go check your missed calls if you'd like," Fade insisted.</p><p>"That's fine," Eliana sighed. "I'll check it once I get out."</p><p>"Are you excited to meet Sterling Stratford today?" Fade asked, beginning to work on her lipstick.</p><p>"I don't know if excited is the word that I would use," Eliana replied. "Nervous is more like it. I've never really been one for politics, but I understand that he's more or less a celebrity due to being on the council. I'm really more worried than anything that he'll just dismiss us and that nothing will change."</p><p>"He's not like that," Fade defended. "He's the youngest person ever appointed to head a kingdom on the council. He worked hard to get where he's at, and he doesn't hesitate to work right away to fix a problem. If I'm not mistaken he volunteered a higher percentage of troops from our military to help find the Fang than Atlas did." Eliana chuckled.</p><p>"And to think they just came right to us," Eliana laughed.</p><p>"Besides, he's not too bad on the eyes," Fade told her.</p><p>"Sounds like someone has a celebrity crush," Eliana jested.</p><p>"Perhaps," Fade joined in her laughter. "However, I think his girlfriend is far more stunning. Imagine having a strong, attractive, young woman like that in your life. I'd probably die of happiness." Eliana let the cold water wash over her as she turned off the shower and stood there thinking for a long moment. <em>Why is it the more I try to push you out of my thoughts, the more you're in them, Neela?</em></p><p>"Can you hand me a towel?" Eliana requested. Fade glanced at the shelf before looking back at the shower stall and placing her hands on her hips.</p><p>"You can't just come out here and grab one?" Fade questioned.</p><p>"I'd rather not get water all over the floor," Eliana fired back. Fade grumbled and moved to the shelf, grabbing one and spitefully throwing it back over the top of the shower. Eliana just barely caught it, wrapping it around her as she opened the sliding door. "Did you need to use the shower?"</p><p>"Nope," Fade said, eyeing her teammate up. "Like I said before, just wanted to do my makeup before we head out for the day. Want to look my best." Eliana offered her half a smile before grabbing her clothes and heading out into the room, closing the door behind her.</p><p>"What's up with her?" Eliana asked Desirae quietly gesturing towards the door. Desirae sighed and shook her head.</p><p>"She's on the hunt," Desirae offered vaguely.</p><p>"Hunt for what?" Eliana questioned. Desirae looked at her for a long moment and smirked. <em>Now I see why Fade was complaining about you being a bit dense the other morning.</em></p><p>"Don't worry about it," Desirae replied, closing her book before hopping up and creeping up towards Eliana. "Any chance you'd let me feel the girls or is that out of the question?" Eliana stared at her for a long moment before pressing herself back against the door.</p><p>"Sounds like something from one of Cobalt's books if I'm being really honest with you, so, hard pass," Eliana replied. Desirae frowned and folded her arms, pouting.</p><p>"Some girls just have all the luck in that department, huh?" Desirae asked. Eliana and she looked at each other for a few seconds before Eliana blushed.</p><p>"Do you mind… turning around?" Eliana requested.</p><p>"Why? We're both girls?" Desirae noted. Eliana blushed harder and looked away, staring at the floor. <em>Is this what I sounded like to Neela? Oh, Oum, I'm so sorry, Neela.</em> Desirae tilted her head before it hit her and she nodded. "Oh. Okay." She smiled. "Yeah sure, no problem."</p><p>"Thanks," Eliana gratefully replied. Eliana dressed while Desirae complied with her wishes, whistling awkwardly as she tried to find something to focus on, but the hyperactive girl was getting jittery.</p><p>"Hear any good gossip recently?" Desirae asked her. Eliana laughed.</p><p>"You can turn around now," Eliana instructed. "You just live for that stuff, don't you?" Desirae laughed and turned back to face Eliana.</p><p>"Yes!" She squealed. "So have you heard any?!" Eliana shook her head and smiled.</p><p>"No, but if I do you'll be the first person I tell," Eliana assured her. Desirae bounced happily.</p><p>"Yes!" She declared. "So, you and Fade are heading up to Stratford's Mansion today, huh?"</p><p>"Yep," Eliana confirmed nodding. "I need someone to hear me out about what I saw and was told the other night, and if anyone in this kingdom can do something about it, it would be him." Fade opened the door behind Eliana, waiting for her to sidestep before making a grandiose entrance.</p><p>"I'm ready!" Fade announced. Eliana furrowed her brow.</p><p>"I thought you said it would take a while," Eliana noted.</p><p>"It did!" Fade replied with a grin.</p><p>"By whose standards?" Eliana pondered out loud.</p><p>"I don't think she was in there for long enough," Asher chuckled as he entered the room from the main hallway.</p><p>"Who asked you anyway!?" Fade shouted at him. His legs went limp and he flopped to the floor. "And how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not buying that!?"</p><p>"We can probably go now," Eliana suggested. Fade unballed her fists and took a deep breath, smiling once more.</p><p>"Of course," Fade said. "Let's go!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the late upload, been a busy last couple of days. Coming up this weekend, Chapter 20: Meeting!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Meeting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Elli and Fade go to visit Stratford about the Faunus issue...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They headed out of the school down a long winding path that turned into nothing more than a field with a dirt trail leading beyond a hill that jutted up off on the horizon. A meadow separated the city of Haven itself from its most prestigious and expensive neighborhood, in which Sterling Stratford owned the largest home that sat right in the midst of it. They said that he was well deserving of such things, he had saved Haven from a strange mass of Grimm that were being drawn to the area in an unnatural manner, carrying back two of his teammates that had been knocked out during the mission. He then made proposals for military reform to protect the kingdom, unlike anything they'd ever heard before. He was an instant celebrity and shoo-in for Mistral's council head.</p><p>"It's beautiful out here, isn't it?" Eliana asked. It was warm out, much too warm to feel like the fall season that Eliana had grown used to back in Vale, but winter was different here too. Unless you traveled up north out of Haven and were making your way towards Argus, there wasn't much snow to be found during any season of the year, Mistral was comfortably warm unlike Vacuo which was always hot, and Atlas, which was just hell frozen over. Eliana ran out ahead of Fade and ran her fingers through the tall grass, it was a feeling that she never got sick of. She looked back to make sure that Fade was still keeping up with her, but noted that she had been given a sizable lead. "You're going to have to move a little faster if you want to match my pace!"</p><p>"Do you ever take your time doing anything?" Fade questioned as she made a poor attempt at closing the gap between them. Eliana rolled her eyes and folded her arms.</p><p>"Sometimes," Eliana insisted. "So, I'm guessing that you live out here too?" Fade's eyes lit up and she nodded.</p><p>"I do!" She exclaimed. "I could take you by the house if you'd like! Oh, you could meet the maid and butler, assuming that he hasn't already left for the day. I could even show you my room! It's so clean and tidy right now and it's been some time since the last time Des came over for a visit. We'd be able to put the hot tub in my bathroom to good use. My room's bigger than daddy's, but he says that he doesn't mind." Eliana watched her list off even more things about the house in a flurry of excitement. She was usually proper, but when she talked about her life she seemed even more so.</p><p>"If we have time," Eliana replied without thinking.</p><p>"Really?!" Fade asked, grabbing her hands.</p><p>"Maybe…" Eliana stuttered. "Maybe…"</p><p>"If we have time," Fade repeated. "That's what you said."</p><p>"Right, but I still need to get back to the school to study for our test tomorrow on Grimm Habitats and Behavior, and that's probably going to take me quite some time," Eliana explained. Fade looked dejected for a few seconds and Eliana felt something drop in the pit of her stomach. <em>What would it hurt to stop by her house? Except… I still remember the way that she looked at me in the shower the other day… The same way that...</em></p><p>BESIDES, ALL I DO IS HURT PEOPLE! Eliana shook her head and inhaled. They were coming back. Her thoughts. She knew they weren't true, but she couldn't shake them and the more that she thought about Neela, the louder they came back. She managed a smile again and continued on her way.</p><p>"So… is that a no then?" Fade inquired.</p><p>"I'll give it some thought," Eliana informed her. Fade nodded and smirked.</p><p>"Great," Fade said. Eliana gradually grew further ahead from her teammate, gradually stopping and bending down to pick something up that Fade couldn't see before throwing it and watching it with intent. "What are you doing?"</p><p>"Playing with Spot," Eliana told her. Fade stared at her for a couple of minutes, looking back out into the grass towards the direction she was looking before continuing past her.</p><p>"You worry me sometimes," Fade noted.</p><p>"He's an invisible dog!" Eliana yelled. Fade waved her off and Eliana looked up and sighed. "Nobody understands us, dad."</p><p>"Come on, you have to get a glimpse of this view," Fade called to her. Eliana followed her up and stood on the precipice, looking out over the rest of the meadow that naturally blended into the high-end neighborhood. "Isn't it amazing?"</p><p>"Looks like a lot of lien to me," Eliana said with a shrug. Fade shoved her and Eliana laughed. "I'm kidding. It's nice, though I've always preferred something a little more secluded and away from other people. Something with like… a tire swing or a treehouse. Or both! Or a tree fort with a tire swing inside of it, that would be awesome! Neela had a treehouse, it was the best, we used to sleep out there during the summer because it made her feel more at ease and…" Eliana stopped herself. <em>Why can't I forgive myself? Why can't I bring myself to talk to you?</em></p><p>"You want to talk about it?" Fade asked.</p><p>"No, I'm fine," Eliana insisted.</p><p>"Are you sure?" Fade persisted. "I know this Neela girl means the world to you, but I think I'd better understand how to help if you just explain what happened."</p><p>"No!" Eliana asserted, making herself jump. The two of them looked at each other, making eye contact that made Eliana feel awkward and she looked away. "I don't want to talk about it. I know you're just trying to help and I appreciate that, but I don't want to talk about it. It's not… what happened between us…" Fade grabbed her hands again.</p><p>"Whenever you want to talk about it, I'll be here," Fade assured her.</p><p>"Okay," Eliana nodded. "Thanks."</p><p>"Don't mention it," Fade dismissed her and continued walking. "We wouldn't want to keep Stratford waiting, would we?" Eliana chuckled sheepishly.</p><p>"Probably not," she replied.</p><p>"Then let's go," Fade laughed, shaking her head. "Sometimes, I swear…" They reached the outskirts, many of the people were out on their lawns visiting with each other or had their hired help mowing for them, a lot of which seemed to be Faunus, but Eliana had no doubt that they were being paid and weren't there against their wills, so she wasn't too concerned over the fact. A few of them watched Eliana and Fade, murmuring to each other as they called to Fade and she'd reply with a smile and a wave that seemed relatively rehearsed.</p><p>"So, Stratford's place?" Eliana asked.</p><p>"In the middle," she answered pointing down the street. "A few more blocks and we'll be there." Eliana nodded. She knew that they weren't talking about her, but she couldn't help but feel that way. <em>Look, it's that girl who set up the events at Beacon. How could she do such a thing? Why didn't she tell her teachers? Nobody had to die!</em> "This one's mine, just in case you were wondering." Eliana looked up, her breath catching as she stared at the small wonder. "It's one of the smaller ones."</p><p>"Smaller ones?!" Eliana stammered. This was one of the smaller ones? Was there a swimming pool in the living room? Was her room the entire size of Eliana's house on Patch? Was there a ballroom, or bowling alley, or something outrageous and absurd to justify the size?</p><p>"You're falling behind again," Fade informed her a few houses down. "I can always bring you back later for a tour!" Eliana nodded, looking one last time before following again.</p><p>"Have you ever been inside of Stratford's house?" Eliana pried.</p><p>"Yes! It's such a lovely estate! My father is his top supporter, so we're often invited over for his socials," Fade began droning on. "I've been there for many elegant occasions, whether it be ballroom dances, political debates in the foyer, or on rare occasions, wine tastings."</p><p>"Where's the wine from?" Eliana inquired trying to sound interested.</p><p>"There's a small vineyard contained within his backyard," she explained. <em>You've got to be kidding!</em></p><p>"That's crazy!" Eliana declared.</p><p>"It seems rather normal to me," Fade shrugged. Eliana nodded and rolled her eyes. "Here's the place!" Eliana glanced up from looking at Fade, noting that this building looked like it could for at least one of Beacon's dorms inside of it. It had a helicopter landing pad, because of course, and in front of the building was a garden that Eliana immediately recognized. She gasped and entered through the gate without permission or Fade. "Hey!"</p><p>"I don't believe it! This is an exact replica of the Spring Maiden's Garden at Haven!" Eliana exclaimed. "Only this one is much more alive for obvious reasons."</p><p>"I've never been to the other one," Fade informed her.</p><p>"What!?" Eliana proclaimed. "I guess I'll give you the rundown for now and we'll go visit the other one later!" Eliana smiled and Fade shrugged. She nodded and looked at Eliana, smiling back. <em>Her smile is just so contagious!</em> "So, anyway, back when Lionheart was the Headmaster, the Spring Maiden was one of the students at the school. Apparently, the burden of being a Maiden was a bit too much for her to handle and she didn't deal with it well. Leo built the garden near the school so she could visit it whenever she liked to help calm her nerves. It wasn't enough to get her to stay, sadly, but before she left she planted a single lily in the middle of their garden. They say that when she died, so did all of the flowers, except for the one she planted."</p><p>"Sounds like someone knows her stuff," Stratford chuckled as he came down the stoop of the mansion with Olesia to greet his guests. "As you could probably guess, I'm a bit of a history buff myself."</p><p>"It's beautiful!" Eliana insisted. Olesia laughed and Stratford nodded.</p><p>"I have to agree," Stratford noted. "And I omitted the Maiden's Lily as a sign of respect for the girl." He sighed. "It's a shame that none of you kids will ever get to meet the maidens. Their power was something to behold. How long ago was it now that they gave up their power, ten years or thereabouts?" Eliana nodded.</p><p>"Yeah, but it was for a good cause," Eliana said.</p><p>"Is this the friend that wanted to speak with me, Fade?" Stratford asked. Fade grabbed Eliana's arm unexpectedly and clung to it.</p><p>"Yep, this is the one," Fade excitedly declared. Eliana looked at her for a second. This girl ran hot or cold at a moment's notice. Sometimes she was proper, and other times she was girly, and Eliana was having the worst time reading her. "She said that she wanted to talk to you about something that happened outside of the city the other day."</p><p>"Is that so?" Stratford replied. He looked Eliana over before placing a hand on his mouth. "Where do we know her from, she looks familiar…"</p><p>"Team NITE!" Olesia exclaimed. Stratford gasped and stepped forward, taking Eliana's hand and shaking it.</p><p>"Yes! Of course! That's it!" Stratford exclaimed. "We can talk while Olesia retrieves your medal. Is that alright, darling?" Olesia smiled and nodded.</p><p>"Sure!" She answered heading back towards the house.</p><p>"You two are so cute together," Fade squealed under her breath.</p><p>"So, what seems to be the problem, Ms. Latherus?" Stratford inquired.</p><p>"The other night I couldn't sleep and was taking a walkout in the country when I found a woman who had been run off the road and ransacked, a Faunus, to be more specific. She said that ever since my teammates had been there the previous winter that Faunus conditions have gotten even worse outside of the city, even though we took down a rather large anti-Faunus group that was terrorizing the area," Eliana explained.</p><p>"Unacceptable," Sterling stated as he stood. "That's something that this kingdom will not abide by! Thank you for sharing this with me, Eliana. I will remove some of my military from Vacuo to work on this right away." Eliana sighed in relief. She could see why Fade thought so highly of him.</p><p>"Thank you, sir," Eliana replied.</p><p>"No, thank you," he insisted. He took a step back and folded his arms. "Now then, I'd like to ask you a question."</p><p>"Sure, what's up?" Eliana questioned. <em>Was your dad that cop? Are you going to become a cop like your dad? I'm so sorry about what happened to your dad.</em> No doubt he'd ask one of the usual questions, it was to be expected.</p><p>"Why did you leave your team in Beacon?" He inquired. <em>Well you see, my dad… wait, what?!</em> Eliana looked him in the eyes for a long moment before looking away and rubbing the back of her neck.</p><p>"Well you see," Eliana began. "Well… I…"</p><p>"She doesn't like talking about it," Fade cut in. Eliana looked at her. Fade was standing up for her? Maybe this girl wasn't as bad as Eliana had come to believe.</p><p>"I'm sorry to hear that," Stratford frowned. He shrugged. "I'm sure whatever you did, you put a lot of thought into it and decided it was the best course of action."</p><p>"It was a tough choice, but it was something I had to do," Eliana said. Stratford smiled.</p><p>"Good enough for me;" he told her. Olesia returned with the medal, handing it to Eliana.</p><p>"Thank you so much for what you did at Beacon," Olesia told her. "What a stroke of luck that Sterling had been given the medal to hold on to, but I guess they knew you were here in Mistral after all. I'm sorry that we didn't plan something a little more ceremonious, we've been so busy recently with Strakh and a new threat that's moving into Vale."</p><p>"Another Faunus terrorist sect replacing the White Fang?" Eliana pried. Stratford laughed.</p><p>"No, this time it's just a scientist creating new Grimm," Stratford offered. Eliana's eyes lit up.</p><p>"Like the Camazotz?" She asked. Olesia nodded.</p><p>"That one specifically is the only new Grimm we've confirmed so far, but due to her lineage, we're sure there will be more," she explained.</p><p>"Thank you again for protecting Beacon," Stratford repeated. Eliana averted her eyes and focused on some of the flowers behind him.</p><p>"I didn't do much," Eliana sheepishly admitted. <em>In fact, most of it was my fault…</em></p><p>"Every bit of effort helps," Stratford assured her. "I think that's the thing that scares me the most about Abigor and the Neo-Salem's. They're well aware of that fact, it's why Mercury is always making small moves with the Stardust Gang and why we've seen less of Strakh himself and more of the Dust that he's shifting around. And who knows what Admon is up to."</p><p>"Handsome and smart!" Fade blurted out covering her mouth. "Sorry." They all laughed.</p><p>"It's true," Olesia chuckled. Suddenly, Stratford and Olesia's scrolls began to ring. He looked at her and headed back towards the house.</p><p>"I'm so sorry to have to leave abruptly like this, but we have an important call from the council," Stratford explained. "Feel free to come in if you'd like, I had prepared some desserts to have in the garden, but it appears there won't be time for it."</p><p>"Thank you so much for seeing me!" Eliana called after them. "It means a lot to me!" Olesia turned back and gave a wave before following Stratford in. Fade walked past Eliana towards the door, determined to head inside. "Fade!"</p><p>"He said we could go in, and come on. Are you telling me you don't want to see what the place looks like?" Fade asked with a smirk as she skipped through the garden and stepped into the stoop. "Come on! Just for a minute anyway!" Eliana sighed and rolled her eyes. She had to be grateful that Fade had deflected Stratford's question about her decision for leaving NITE, so the very least she could do was step into the mansion for a few seconds and humor her.</p><p>Eliana's jaw dropped as she stepped into the entryway, a large room that had several doors leading off of it and two staircases that curved up along the walls to the second floor, more or less the opposite design of the Schnee estate. In the middle of the room was a small table with assorted cookies and tea, almost seeming out of place in the grandiose setting. Banners covered the walls with Mistral's emblem, there were statues of Ozma and Salem set towards the back between the stairs, doubling as a water fountain. To say he was a history buff was to say the least! To her right, down the hall, she could see paintings of all of Mistral's Headmasters and Mistresses since the school had been built, to her left were busts on pedestals of the generals of the Great War and Faunus War. This was insane.</p><p>"Tea?" Fade asked, snapping her out of it and bringing her a saucer and cup.</p><p>"Thanks…" Eliana managed. It was stunning. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a man with white hair and white rabbit ears, his pink eyes lighting up as he noticed her, wearing typical butler attire. He nearly dropped the tray he was carrying as he made his way towards her with an alarming pace.</p><p>"Eliana!?" He shouted. "You have to be! You just have to be! I haven't seen you in so long, you've gotten so much bigger! This is crazy! You look just like your dad! Not to say that you aren't attractive, cause you are! But like in a normal way! I mean…" He stopped and tilted his head with a smile. "Long time, no see?"</p><p>"Officer Flemish?!" She yelled back at him. She hugged him and nearly picked him up off of his feet. "I haven't seen you since the funeral and I almost didn't recognize you out of your police uniform! This is unreal!"</p><p>"You know him?" Fade asked.</p><p>"He was my dad's partner at the end of his career," Eliana informed her. He rubbed Eliana's head.</p><p>"Same smile as your dad too!" He pointed out. Eliana smiled wider.</p><p>"Thanks!" She exclaimed.</p><p>"You two a thing?" Flemish inquired. Eliana almost dropped the tea that Fade had handed her, both of the girls blushing and avoiding looking at each other.</p><p>"No," Fade quickly spat out.</p><p>"She's my new team's leader," Eliana informed him.</p><p>"That's awesome too!" Flemish said. "I'd say we should catch up, but I'm a full-time butler slash bodyguard for Stratford now, so I really don't have the time… Hey, I have an idea!"</p><p>"What's that?" Eliana asked.</p><p>"Anything on your scroll you don't want me to see?" Flemish questioned. She raised an eyebrow. "If you don't mind! I don't want to impose, just wanted to catch up, that's all! Forget that I even mentioned!" He waved her off and she laughed.</p><p>"I don't see any harm," Eliana shrugged. She handed it to him and he handed it right back, barely holding it long enough to actually note what her background was. "Weren't you going to take a look at it?"</p><p>"Already done," he informed her. "The photos of you and that girl with the beads in her hair are adorable. You two must be dating, right?" Eliana's face turned red as she stared at him for a long couple of seconds. "My semblance lets me see everything on a scroll or computer just by brushing it with my skin. Not a super useful semblance in combat, but great for getting intel. Nice to see that your mom is doing well. And your alarm to study tonight is set to go off in a few hours, right? And I'd ask why you deleted a received call from your history before you headed here, but I guess that's none of my business." Eliana nodded slowly.</p><p>"That's awesome," Eliana managed. "And no… we were just friends…"</p><p>"Past tense?" He asked, tilting his head. He chuckled nervously and rubbed his neck. "I have to get back to work, but it was so nice talking to you! Stop by again some time if you can, with Stratford's permission, of course." He hugged her tightly again and bounced away, disappearing around a corner.</p><p>"He seemed nice," Fade noted. Eliana turned to face her, nodding slowly.</p><p>"Yeah," Eliana agreed, shaking off his comment. "A bit overly energetic though." Eliana stopped and looked at her scroll in her hand. "I didn't delete a call on my scroll earlier…"</p><p>"Maybe his semblance isn't completely accurate?" Fade suggested.</p><p>"Possibly," Eliana concurred. "Oh! I should have asked him about how his sister is doing!"</p><p>"He was busy," Fade told her, taking Eliana's cup and saucer, setting them down on the table. "But if you play your cards right I can get us another get together here with Stratford." Fade grinned at Eliana who shook her head.</p><p>"We should get back to the school," Eliana said. "I do have quite a bit of studying to get done today." Fade pouted.</p><p>"But my house…" she started. Eliana sighed and pulled her towards the door by the hand, causing Fade to gasp and blush. <em>Was this all working? I told Stratford to ask about her old team so I could defend her, but I didn't expect it to work this well.</em> "Elli?"</p><p>"Next time, okay?" Eliana inquired with a smile. Fade nodded. <em>That damn smile.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fade seems to be falling for Elli, but is she falling too hard? Next week, Chapter 21: Samson!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Samson</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>CBLT is finally assigned to a field mission?!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So, here's the plan," Cobalt began as he walked down the old and worn dirt road with his teammates, Nora leading them out in front as she frequently checked her scroll to see if they reached the location yet. "We are going to take care of whatever it is we're here to take care of, without a hitch, mind you, and secure first place once and for all. Team NITE will never overtake us again after that. Say hello to being certified huntsmen and huntresses by the end of our third year!" Cobalt puffed out his chest and took long strides as he walked faster to catch up to Nora, peeking at her scroll before leaning over to her. "Uh, why are we out here again?"</p><p>"You're really inattentive at briefings, aren't you?" Nora asked.</p><p>"I like to focus on morale first before I begin worrying about what the mission is going to bring. This morning was for the mental health of my team," Cobalt insisted.</p><p>"Which would be a great excuse if you weren't the only one who doesn't know what's going on," Lykos explained.</p><p>"There are rumors of strange activities going on in this forest community, and their local huntsman called us in to investigate what's going on," Bái detailed. "It also coincides with the location of a Dread dealer and distributor as noted by Raven's target book. Nora will be doing most of the leg work and we're supposed to stay busy so if they figure out why we're here, we can throw them off of Nora's scent."</p><p>"See, if anything you should thank me for not paying attention," Cobalt noted.</p><p>"And why's that?" Nora questioned with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>"My team becomes hyper-attentive to make up for my lack of attentiveness," Cobalt offered. Tawney slugged him hard in the shoulder and he yelped.</p><p>"You're such a dumb ass," Tawney growled as Nora stopped and they all nearly piled into her. "Uh, Mrs. Ren?"</p><p>"This is the place," she informed them.</p><p>"Surely you mean down this path," Lykos said, taking a step forward and examining the grass. "If you can even call it that anymore." It was apparent that at one time a barren dirt path led even deeper into the woods from the dirt road they were already walking on, but it was heavily grown over, flowers and weeds sprouting up in the free spaces wherever they could force themselves through.</p><p>"She probably did, but don't call her Shirley," Cobalt added, stepping off of the road and leading them.</p><p>"Does he ever take anything seriously?" Nora inquired. Bái shook her head.</p><p>"No, but if he ever does, we'll let you know," Tawney assured her. They followed after him and after another hour they reached the edge of a surreal-looking settlement that they first wondered if it was an illusion or some kind of semblance cloaking the actual settlement. A chill washed over Cobalt as he opened the gate and stepped onto the well-worn gravel road, the sun shining down through the trees and scattering about, shedding light onto them as the rest of them entered. Children walked across the street, noticing them before approaching them calmly.</p><p>"Are you here to help Samson?" One of them asked calmly, her body swaying back and forth ever so slightly.</p><p>"He called for help, right?" A boy added.</p><p>"We're glad you're here to help," another girl noted. Cobalt took a step back so that Nora was in the front again and leaned over to her.</p><p>"Anyone else getting like a western Stepford Wives vibe here?" Cobalt asked.</p><p>"Why is she so much older than the rest of you?" The first pried.</p><p>"I'm their teacher," Nora explained as she smiled and crouched.</p><p>"We have a teacher," the boy pointed out. "But she's much younger than you." Nora winced and stood, composing herself as her eye twitched.</p><p>"Let's find Samson, shall we?" Nora suggested. She patted the kid on the head more roughly than she should have and continued on her way down the path, finding the community to be eerier than they first perceived. All of the log cabins were nearly identical, the people that lived in them had sunken faces and stared out of the windows, watching them as they passed by, every single last one of them looked sickly. Nora's eyes met theirs and she restrained herself from shuddering. Something was definitely wrong here. "Stay close."</p><p>"You don't have to tell me twice," Cobalt replied. The houses went on for far longer than was necessary, and when they finally reached the end roughly half a mile away, they were greeted by what felt more like a movie set. There was a mercantile, a church, a small hotel that doubled as a saloon, and an old-style jail that doubled as a visitor center of sorts.</p><p>"What is this?" Bái asked.</p><p>"It's like we stepped into one of Cobalt's dreams," Tawney said.</p><p>"Oh no, this is much worse," Cobalt pointed out. A few wagons pulled by horses sat idle in the middle of the 'town', their owners more than likely within one of the buildings, but word was traveling fast with more and more people peering outside at the team and their instructor. "Is this hell!?"</p><p>"Not exactly," a voice came from behind them. They turned around to find a young man, most likely in his late twenties, dressed in traditional cowboy garb. Black pants and black boots with spurs. Black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up ever so slightly. Stetson on his head, also black, tying all of it together paired with the belt buckle he wore that said "Dust" and was somehow the most comical item of his look. Cobalt slapped himself in the face a few times.</p><p>"I have to be asleep," Cobalt muttered under his breath. "I have to be!"</p><p>"Samson Tanzanite," he introduced himself. He shook hands with all of them, his dark bluish-purple eyes seeding into Cobalt's as he gave a genuine smile that Cobalt found unsettling for some reason. A small scar that was hard to spot right away traced along his neck where it met his torso. "I'm glad you're here, I wasn't sure what I was going to do if this went on for too much longer."</p><p>"Our pleasure," Nora insisted. "I'm Nora Ren and these students are some of the best that Beacon has to offer."</p><p>"Beacon," he parroted. He nodded and chuckled. "I graduated at the top of my class nearly thirty years ago." Cobalt blinked a few times, tilting his head.</p><p>"What?" Tawney blurted out.</p><p>"Did you say thirteen?" Lykos questioned for clarification.</p><p>"No," Samson replied. "Thirty. My semblance is an accelerated healing of sorts, keeps me spry and looking pretty damn good if I say so myself."</p><p>"I'd say so," Bái added.</p><p>"Well, we've got a few rooms at the hotel reserved for the five of you, but I'd venture to guess that y'all won't be sleeping too much while you're here with us," Samson explained. "That road that you came into town down is one of four that branch out from our hub here. They're all equally as long, so you can imagine that it's hard for one man to keep tabs on the entire town whenever we're attacked by Grimm, which is starting to turn into a nightly event."</p><p>"Has this been happening for some time now?" Nora questioned. He shook his head.</p><p>"I've only been back in town for about a month, but this started two weeks ago," he clarified. "About the same time that all the people in town started acting so lethargic and the like."</p><p>"We noticed," Tawney stated.</p><p>"We think it might be related to the production of a drug known as Dread," Nora explained. "Familiar with it?" He rubbed his chin and stared at the ground.</p><p>"Not sure that I heard the name while I was out traveling the country," he informed her. "If that's the case, my best guess where they might be set up would be the only abandoned Dust mine down the east road."</p><p>"Is it the old town road?" Cobalt questioned. They all looked at him. Samson nodded.</p><p>"All the roads in this town are old, so yes, you could say that," Samson said. "Do you know if the production of the drug could be causing the town to be acting like the undead?"</p><p>"We're not overly familiar with it yet, but we're hoping our trip here will shed some more light on it," Nora detailed. "Though you don't seem affected by it." He nodded.</p><p>"My best guess would be it doesn't affect people with aura," Samson surmised. "I'm the only one in this town who has one, and the five of you aren't acting strange either, so it might have to do with that." Nora shrugged.</p><p>"Sorry, didn't want to sound like I was accusing you of anything, just have to cover all of our bases," Nora apologized. He laughed hard.</p><p>"It's fine. Glad to have you all. If you need anything I'll be at the jail. Otherwise, you're free to have a look around but it'll be dark soon, so maybe you'll want to prepare for tonight's attacks," he offered, walking away from them. They stood in silence for a few seconds.</p><p>"It's like a Red Dead game with really poor level design," Cobalt pointed out exasperatedly.</p><p>"Again, nobody understands what you're saying," Tawney grumbled.</p><p>"Alright, you kids can take your stuff to your rooms at the hotel. Hopefully, we aren't out here for more than a day or two," Nora explained. "Once you get unpacked feel free to explore and find out what the hell is going on here."</p><p>"Say no more!" Cobalt declared. "Team CBLT out!" Cobalt headed the opposite direction of his teammates, prompting Nora to watch him for a long moment.</p><p>"Cobalt!" She shouted.</p><p>"What?" He answered standing beside her. She did a double-take. "My clone can go do what he wants, he doesn't need to unpack anything." They headed off to the saloon, Lykos stepped in first, the swinging doors clattering behind him and nearly taking out Bái who was closer to him than he realized. It was empty for the most part, save the bartender and one man at the end of the bar closest to the wall. He looked back at them with the same tired and dead expression that all of the people shared before turning back to his drink. He stared at the glass stein longingly for an uncomfortable passing moment before taking a long drink, setting it down loudly as he swallowed.</p><p>"Hey!" Yelled the bartender grabbing their attention. "You must be them kids the academy sent to help. Oum bless you." He didn't sound excited about them being there, mad, upset, worried… just tired. Cobalt hesitated before approaching the bar for the rest of his team. It almost sounded like the effect that the Apathy had on people, but that also affected people with aura, so it couldn't be that. He nodded.</p><p>"We're here to help any way that we can," Cobalt assured him.</p><p>"Sure, whatever," the man dismissed him, setting their keys on the counter. Cobalt picked them up and prepared to step away from the counter when he thought of something.</p><p>"Can I ask you something?" Cobalt requested. The man shrugged.</p><p>"Sure," he replied.</p><p>"Is there a lot of Grimm's Bane around here?" Cobalt questioned.</p><p>"There was," he noted. "All went missing a couple of months ago."</p><p>"Huh," Cobalt said. "Alright, thanks for your time!" Cobalt headed upstairs leaving his teammates behind. They all glanced at each other and shrugged before following him up. "Okay, we've got three keys, one for Nora, and the other two are for us to fight over. Here's to hoping that there are two beds in each room and not a queen that we're going to have to share." Cobalt unlocked the door and peered in before closing it quickly. "Lykos. Buddy. Friend."</p><p>"I think not," Lykos replied. Cobalt hit his knees.</p><p>"Please! Please! You can't let me room with Tawney, she's crazy!" Cobalt exclaimed. He could hear her breathing heavily behind him and he turned slowly to look up at her. "Hi…"</p><p>"Get over yourself, you're not that much better. Always going on about this show and that movie. Welcome to reality, Cobalt, it's about time that you joined us!" Tawney shouted at him.</p><p>"See what I mean?!" Cobalt announced. Lykos pried a key away from him and showed Bái into their room, closing the door in Cobalt's face as the boy groveled in the hallway.</p><p>"I swear to Oum, if you touch me in my sleep, I will put my fist through your face," Tawney informed him. He nodded.</p><p>"Yeah, okay," he noted. He opened the door and let them in, the room had a bed and small end table of sorts, with a room attached that was separated by a curtain, leading to a bathroom with a single tub and washbasin. "Huh. This is cute…"</p><p>"I would hardly call this bed a queen size," Tawney groaned. She tossed her bag against the wall by the door. "There's not even room to lie on the floor in here, I'll have to sleep in the tub…"</p><p>"I don't bite," Cobalt told her. Tawney ignored him and turned to hide her red face.</p><p>"I'm not worried about you biting!" She declared. "Remember the last time we stayed in a house together? Alone?"</p><p>"We're not doing that again," Cobalt insisted. "I'm a man of my word, you don't have to worry about it. Besides, it's only fair to let you have the bed, I can sleep on the bathroom floor."</p><p>"You trying to one-up me!?" She bit.</p><p>"No! I'm trying to be chivalrous!" He shouted back. The door was thrown open and Lykos stood in it, eyes glaring through them.</p><p>"We can hear everything… across the hall! You might want to quiet down!" He scolded. Tawney and Cobalt both looked away from each other.</p><p>"He started it," Tawney insisted, folding her arms.</p><p>"Seriously?" Cobalt asked.</p><p>"Yes!" Tawney fired back.</p><p>"Why don't we go get ready for this Grimm attack before we get thrown out of the inn," Bái suggested.</p><p>"Great idea," Lykos agreed, heading down the hall towards the stairs. Cobalt looked back at Tawney once more before leaving with the couple. As the door closed Tawney exhaled.</p><p>"WHY THE HELL DO WE HAVE TO ROOM TOGETHER!?" She blurted out. "Worried about him doing something? I'm worried about me doing something!" She composed herself and leapt down the stairs, nearly crashing into Bái who was frozen at the bottom, with Lykos and Cobalt standing at the door. "Guys?"</p><p>"I'm starting to think you might have been right about this being hell," Lykos noted to Cobalt. Droves of Grimm stormed into the city, Beowulves, Ursas, Nevermores, Creeps, and possibly more, storming the area in unimaginable numbers. Tawney shoved past the two of them and headed out.</p><p>"We can't just watch!" She shouted slamming into the mob and blasting several away. "We should regroup with Nora for now, wherever she is!"</p><p>"Probably over there where the lightning is streaking from the ground up into the sky," Cobalt suggested activating his sword. He looked back at Bái and motioned with his hand for her to follow them out. "Time for us to get this party started!" He began charging his sword's laser. "Lykos, you want to give me a few?"</p><p>"Not sure how many I can fool in a crowd this large, but here goes nothing!" He shouted, creating a fake Beringel that leapt over the building behind them and landed in the middle of the square, roaring and asserting dominance over the other Grimm. "It's working for now… but I can only keep something that big formed for a short time."</p><p>"I know, but I still need a moment," Cobalt replied. "Bái, the lens attack." She nodded and formed a large one in front of him.</p><p>"That good?" She asked.</p><p>"Yes," he grunted.</p><p>
  <em>*LASER IS AT 50%*</em>
</p><p>"Probably overkill, but here goes nothing!" Cobalt declared. He fired, taking out Grimm further that he could see even, lucky that the lens was well built or several homes would have been taken out in the process.</p><p>"You want to warn me next time?" Tawney asked as she batted back a remaining Beowulf. "More that way to the east, something tells me we might be out here for a while." Two Grimm flew past them and dissipated upon hitting the ground, Nora laughing loudly as she tumbled through the air and landed beside her students.</p><p>"I don't remember the last time I had this much fun fighting Grimm!" Nora exclaimed. "But we have to keep it up! I'm baffled at how Samson is able to deal with this much by himself every night!"</p><p>"Behind you!" Samson shouted as he appeared from the church. A Geist was inches from Nora and about to wrench her weapon away when Samson shot it through the mask, shattering it instantly.</p><p>"Geists too? This is insane!" Nora shouted.</p><p>"They seem more aggressive tonight and I assure you, it's not normally this many," Samson clarified. "It's the first time I've seen a geist in this area."</p><p>"Reminds me of that first mission we had this year at that lookout point close to Vale," Cobalt noted.</p><p>"I remember that!" Bái added. "It does feel kind of similar, but we never found the source of what caused that." More Grimm began replacing the ones they'd already killed and they heard the familiar screech of a Camazotz overhead.</p><p>"No way!" Lykos declared.</p><p>"I didn't sign up to die like this!" Cobalt panicked.</p><p>"Then don't!" Nora yelled. "Fight! I know you kids have it in you! Samson and I will take the Camazotz, you kids work on ground control." They nodded at her.</p><p>"Right!" Tawney agreed. She slugged an Ursa in the jaw, her eyes flickering as she tore through the masses. "Bái!"</p><p>"On it!" Bái replied. She slid in with her ice, firing pikes into the Grimm and killing a score of them before a creep nearly broke through them but she formed an ice dagger and stabbed it in the neck, throwing it to the ground with her free hand. Cobalt watched her fight in awe.</p><p>"You two have really been practicing, huh?" Cobalt inquired.</p><p>"She's gotten crazy with her abilities," Lykos admitted, whipping through a Nevermore and taking out another that was still airborne, throwing his shuriken at it and watching it fall to Cobalt who cut it in half.</p><p>"Camazotz is coming in close!" Tawney declared, her eyes igniting as she bashed an Alpha Beowulf away, her second blow paired with a shot from her tonfas took its head clean off.</p><p>"Can you shoot it down?" Nora asked.</p><p>"That much bone plating on its head? Odds aren't great, it would probably just piss him off, but I can pull him in close for you," Samson noted. He removed a lasso from his hip and activated it, the rope glowing with hard light Dust as he spun it above his head and gave it a toss, catching its leg. "You ready?" Nora smirked and planted her legs, lightning coursing through her.</p><p>"Let's do it!" Nora screamed. Samson pulled the beast down and slammed the monster into the earth, narrowly missing the mercantile. It screeched at Nora who smirked and brought her hammer completely around, shattering its facial bone plate, effectively finishing it. As it faded into smoke the other Grimm stopped and took notice, some of them fleeing as the larger one's stuck around and kept trying to get at the houses. "That makes things a bit easier."</p><p>"Clear them out!" Cobalt shouted. Tawney took off on her own, Lykos and Bái took their own route and Cobalt pulled his sword apart, dual-wielding as he charged in. Nora nodded to Samson, the two of them heading for the fourth road. The night would be a bit shorter now, but their work in the woodland town was just beginning.</p><hr/><p>"Sore!" Cobalt yelped as he opened the door to their room and flopped down onto the bed. "I don't remember the last time we had to fight for that long. Actually, I don't think that we ever have."</p><p>"That was nothing compared to my days back in Mistral," Tawney bragged, sitting on the bed next to him and reaching down to take her top off. She tossed it into the corner, reaching back to take off her sports bra before she glanced over at Cobalt who was still face down in the pillow, mumbling about something. Normally she'd take her bra off and let the girls breathe, but with Cobalt there she thought better of it. "I've never seen anything like that before."</p><p>"I have a theory, but it's never been proven so I don't know how true it can be," Cobalt groaned as he rolled over and stared up at the ceiling, paying her no mind. "Allegedly Grimm's Bane is great at keeping Grimm away as odd as that sounds. Sure the flowers and their pollen cause nightmares and the like, but the Grimm see it as some kind of mark of Salem's sacred territory. I'm not completely sure what's up with this town yet, but if they built this place out here and then had Grimm's Bane just everywhere, not only would they have built up an immunity, but it would've served as an invisibility cloak of sorts. The Grimm probably never considered attacking until someone took the flowers for the drug."</p><p>"Is that why you asked the barkeeper about them?" Tawney asked. Cobalt nodded.</p><p>"Part of the reason, yes," Cobalt admitted. "I have plans for tomorrow already, but I think that you and the lovebirds should talk to the people in town and see what you can find out." He removed his scroll from his pocket, staring at it for a few minutes before sighing and placing it back in his pocket.</p><p>"What was that all about?" Tawney pried.</p><p>"Nothing," he insisted, chuckling, but it was forced. "Everything is great, the best really. We finally got our mission and can gain some ground on NITE, maybe even pass them. That's all we've wanted for some time now, so how could anything be wrong?"</p><p>"Cobalt," Tawney spoke. "You're not acting like an idiot, I know something has to be wrong."</p><p>"I…" Cobalt started. He sighed again and forced himself up off of the bed. He pulled his shirt off, tossing it to the corner and unbuckling his pants. "I'm gonna go lie down now. I won't come back out of the bathroom, so you're free to sleep however you'd like." Tawney nodded without looking up at him. He was so damn fit for a nerd…</p><p>"What's going on?" She questioned again. "I know that I'm not always the easiest to talk to, but you can talk to me, you know?" Cobalt looked at her for a couple of seconds.</p><p>"Yvonne has another play date tonight," Cobalt admitted. "I told her when I first started seeing her that I'd be fine with just sleeping with her if she got bored every few months, but it's been a while and… and I messed up…" He rubbed his face. "I can't be that shallow. I need intimacy and love. Guess I'm not the hot-blooded high school hormone monster that I thought I was. I think I'm gonna call it quits with her when we get back but the funny thing is… the anxiety is driving me crazy but she probably won't even care!" Cobalt laughed, trying not to become emotional.</p><p>"You've got to do what's best for you," Tawney told him. Secretly it was what she wanted but she couldn't tell him that. She wasn't sure she would ever tell him. "You still plan on going to the dance then?"</p><p>"Yeah, but I'll just go stag and bum with… Eren?... Rowan?... Somebody, I'll figure it out," he replied. It wasn't like Cobalt not to make quips, and it was even harder to see him distraught.</p><p>"You want to talk for a while?" Tawney asked after a long silence.</p><p>"Sure," he shrugged, sitting on the edge of the bed. "What about?"</p><p>"How crazy it is that we got chosen for a mission over NITE? How we might pass them soon? Anything?" She overstated. He chuckled.</p><p>"Getting any closer to Neela in fourth place?" Cobalt inquired.</p><p>"No!" Tawney exclaimed groaning and she threw herself back on the bed. "Ilia is currently between Neela and me." Tawney looked at her hands. "It seems like the harder I try to beat her, the further I get from her rank. And it feels like that's all I do too…" Tawney propped herself up on her elbows. "I'm always chasing her, it's like I don't do anything else."</p><p>"What are you planning on doing after we graduate?" Cobalt asked her. She thought about it for a long moment.</p><p>"I feel like I should ask you that," she countered.</p><p>"I asked you first," he reminded her. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.</p><p>"I think I want to go back to Haven and straighten out everything on the lower levels. Stratford is doing the best he can for that kingdom, but I know for a fact that the slums are still as shitty as ever," she informed him. He nodded as she sat back up completely. "Your turn."</p><p>"I don't know," he told her. She shoved him.</p><p>"Bull!" She shouted.</p><p>"I don't!" He defended himself.</p><p>"And why not?" She inquired. Cobalt looked out the room's small window and gazed at the stars.</p><p>"I prefer to focus on the in-between, so I'm not big on setting strict goals for myself, not that I don't think they're not important. Just imagine, and I apologize in advance but I'm going to use you as an example, that all you ever want is to beat Neela, and then you do it. Great! But does that define you? Should it? And what comes next? Yeah, we saved Beacon, that was no small feat, but if I do nothing but hyper-focus on our next major fight, I don't leave myself any room to enjoy the here and now, you know?" He rattled off. Her face flushed as she watched him light up. "Listen to me being all existential."</p><p>"Why are you never like this normally?" She pried. He thought it over and raised a finger.</p><p>"The same reason you act so extreme all the time," Cobalt offered. "We're just vying for attention. I do it because I feel like the boring one in the group. You do it because you grew used to always having the limelight in Haven." She wanted to yell at him and tell him he was wrong, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She had always been the best in Mistral… was she a somebody or a nobody here? "But at the end of the day, the attention doesn't matter, as long as we did everything in our power to protect the people of Remnant."</p><p>"That's true," she nodded in agreement. She stood slowly. "You can… sleep on the bed with me…" He quickly leapt up and waved his hands.</p><p>"It's okay, really! I can sleep in the bathroom, it's no sweat!" He protested.</p><p>"Really, it's fine," she insisted. "Just don't do anything weird and don't touch me, got it!?" He smirked and nodded</p><p>"Sure," he replied. "Thanks, Tawney." She shook her head and rolled her eyes with a smirk.</p><p>"Yeah, whatever," she said moving into the bathroom to change out of her pants and into pajama shorts. "Cobalt… where's the toilet!?"</p><p>"There's an outhouse out back," he pointed out.</p><p>"Tell me that's a joke!" She called back to him.</p><p>"Sadly it's not!" He informed her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>CBLT finally got their first field mission, but is it more than they can handle? Next week, Chapter 22: Substitute!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Substitute</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Coco has called in the big guns to help train the students...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Coco, slow down and talk to me!" Blake demanded as she chased the woman down one of the school's long hallways and caught her as she was about to leave the building. Coco looked at the hand on her shoulder for a few seconds and looked up to meet Blake's eyes. Coco looked exhausted and annoyed as she used her hand to remove Blake's and made her way outside. "Coco!"</p><p>"If you can't tell, Blake, I'm very busy right now, but I can answer any questions that you might have about what I am planning later!" Coco said to her without turning back and picking up her pace.</p><p>"Glynda told me who you called in for outside help and I speak from experience when I say that she is going to eat them alive!" Blake shouted. They reached the great hall and Coco stopped abruptly, nearly causing Blake to run into her at full speed.</p><p>"Good, I hope she does," Coco blurted out. She looked at her friend for a minute before sighing and rubbing her temples. "I'm trying to not become paranoid, and I'm trying not to panic you, but until we get ahead of the curve and find out what the Children of Salem are ultimately planning, we have got to push these kids harder than ever. After fighting Jett something snapped in me, we aren't ready!"</p><p>"<em>We </em>are ready, we fought her once and beat her," Blake corrected.</p><p>"But she has more followers this time!" Coco mentioned. "And what if we aren't there to save these kids?" Blake looked away. Naturally, that was the worst-case scenario, but Coco needed to step back and look at the bigger picture before she became overly obsessive.</p><p>"When's the last time you and Velvet went on a date?" Blake asked her. Coco looked at her confused before brushing her off.</p><p>"That's irrelevant," Coco stated.</p><p>"You need to slow down," Blake informed her. "I haven't seen you this wound up since Salem's War."</p><p>"Thanks," Coco groaned "For bringing that up."</p><p>"I just don't want you to overtax yourself," Blake said. "I care about you. We all do. I'm sure that Velvet and Lamar wouldn't want you to get all bent out of shape either." Coco nodded.</p><p>"I know," she replied as her scroll vibrated. She glanced at it quickly before leaving without another word. "Thanks, Blake! You're free to come with me if you'd like!" Blake shrugged and followed her the few extra steps to the doors leading from the hallway to the hall itself and entered with her. Titus, Ilia, and Eren, accompanied by Team ONYX, stood in the middle of the room with Harriet Bree, her arms folded as she looked over at the two women impatiently.</p><p>"Well?" Harriet asked. "This top student of yours isn't making the best impression right now."</p><p>"That top student is my daughter. She's also finishing up a session with our counselor and will be done shortly," Blake corrected. Harriet shook her head.</p><p>"Blake Xiao Long," Harriet noted as if disgusted by the word. "You guys got really lucky that night, you know? If we'd actually had the intention of killing you all we easily would have won."</p><p>"Does that help you sleep at night?" Blake questioned with a smirk. Harriet huffed and tapped her foot.</p><p>"Listen, the past is the past," Harriet replied. "I'm here to do my job. I owe you guys a favor for helping us save Atlas, at the very least I'm grateful to you for that. That being said, I'd like to start without Neela, I've got a lot to get through today."</p><p>"You're going to work these kids to death," Blake suggested. Harriet chuckled.</p><p>"You guys lived and you had less experience at the time," Harriet pointed out.</p><p>"A good point," Coco interjected. Harriet gave a smug grin.</p><p>"I'm going to be way tougher on this batch," Harriet sneered. Blake took a step towards her but Coco stopped her.</p><p>"Blake, you know I'm not going to let her do anything to harm them. It's just training," Coco insisted. Blake looked at Coco before snapping her gaze back to Harriet and taking a step back.</p><p>"Alright, when I say your name, step forward and say 'here' and we'll get this over with quickly and on to more important things," Harriet informed them. "Ilia Cherny?"</p><p>"Here," she said, stepping out and then back.</p><p>"Titus Prasinos," Harriet called.</p><p>"Here," he shouted back, stepping up. Harriet smiled.</p><p>"Good to see you again, Lieutenant General Prasinos. Hopefully, this place hasn't made you soft," Harriet joked.</p><p>"That would be unacceptable, ma'am," he replied robotically. Ilia glanced at him, she forgot what it was like when Titus was acting professionally.</p><p>"I like to hear that," Harriet said. He stepped back. "Eren Prince."</p><p>"This is dumb," Eren said. "But I'm here." Harriet glared towards him.</p><p>"We could do without the commentary," Harriet replied. He took several steps forward, separating himself from the rest of them.</p><p>"If I beat you, can I leave early?" He asked. Ilia stepped forward to protest but Titus gripped her by the shoulder and pulled her back, shaking his head. Harriet gritted her teeth, they curled into an alarming grin that concerned Blake, Yin, and Xavier.</p><p>"Sure," Harriet told him. "You beat me in a fight and I will gladly let you leave early. Hell, you can have the rest of the day off."</p><p>"Awesome," Eren smirked.</p><p>"But if you fail, you'll be here twice as long as your teammates today," Harriet explained.</p><p>"Sounds fair," he admitted. "I won't be losing." She frowned.</p><p>"Sure kid," Harriet rolled her eyes. "We go on three."</p><p>"Ready!" Eren shouted.</p><p>"One!" Harriet called out.</p><p>"This is going to be bad!" Ilia stated.</p><p>"Two!" Harriet yelled.</p><p>"This is going to be great!" Natalia roared.</p><p>"Three," Harriet counted. Eren began closing the gap immediately with a blast behind him as Harriet took a sprinter's three-point stance and her eyes lit up, lighting racing across her body. Then she moved. Eren lost sight of her before her fist slammed into his chest with her exo arms extended, throwing him backward in motion to land on his back. Before he could land she caught his arm and swung him around her wildly, making sure he stayed on his feet before racing past him again, kicking his legs out and planting a hand on his shoulder. If not for his aura, his kneecaps would have been destroyed as he landed hard on them and grimaced in pain. She restrained him in a blink, his hands tied behind his back with her gravity cuffs and she smirked as she stood behind him and deactivated her semblance, placing a hand on his head.</p><p>"Just as amazing as ever!" Orin hollered. The Atlas kids gave her applause as Yin and Xavier looked at each other nervously.</p><p>"We're gonna die," Xavier stated.</p><p>"It's a possibility, yeah," Yin agreed.</p><p>"Anyone else have issues with following basic instructions?" Harriet asked. They all shook their heads as she shoved Eren onto his chest. "Good."</p><p>"That was hardly a fair fight!" Eren shouted. Harriet dragged him up to his feet by the restraints.</p><p>"Listen, Eren, right? It's your responsibility as a fighter to assess the situation, not your opponents. I can guarantee you that close to nobody that you fight outside of these walls is going to tell you what their weapon or semblance can do. Had you waited until you'd either seen them in action or maybe if you hadn't rushed in, you could have been a little better prepared," she suggested. "But I still would have kicked your ass so… it probably doesn't matter too much."</p><p>"Whatever," he grumbled.</p><p>"You two in the back are Yin and Xavier, right?" Harriet asked. "I know the other two."</p><p>"Yes," Yin replied.</p><p>"That's correct ma'am," Xavier managed shakily.</p><p>"Good," Harriet said as she undid the cuffs on Eren. "Now, what you might not know is that I am here for an explicit purpose outside of being your field instructor this year. Coco has asked me to teach all of you Semblance Advancement and Aura Endurance. I know that Titus has already begun some of this training as told to me by Winter, but by the end of the year we have the potential to have eight top-tier students who have completely reworked themselves."</p><p>"Coco…" Blake started.</p><p>"This is why I didn't want to tell you," Coco sighed.</p><p>"It's a dangerous method!" Blake reminded her.</p><p>"I'm taking what you and your teammates did with your semblances and I'm just condensing it down into a single year," Coco defended herself.</p><p>"That's not any more reassuring," Blake groaned. The doors behind them opened and Neela stepped through, looking at her teammate, teachers, and mother.</p><p>"Sorry," Neela called across the great hall. "Thought that I would be done sooner."</p><p>"This is why you shouldn't get attached to teammates," Harriet sighed. Blake shot daggers at Harriet.</p><p>"Didn't you marry one of your teammates?" Blake questioned.</p><p>"We weren't teammates anymore at that time, Elm left the Ace Ops," Harriet corrected.</p><p>"I swear to Oum if you tell my daughter what you just said to us that I will break both of your legs and we'll find out just how useful your semblance is then!" Blake bit. Harriet stepped over towards them.</p><p>"Really?" Harriet asked.</p><p>"Ladies…" Coco stepped in the middle of them to break them up. Neela approached the group.</p><p>"My name's Neela Xiao Long," Neela told Harriet, extending her hand to shake hers. "You must be Harriet."</p><p>"You can call me Mrs. Bree," Harriet insisted, turning from Blake and shaking hands. "If you'd like to join your teammates, we can get started." Neela walked over and stood beside Titus.</p><p>"A bit late today," Titus egged her on.</p><p>"Don't want to talk about it," Neela exhaled. Titus rubbed her head.</p><p>"We're here if you need us," he insisted.</p><p>"Thanks," Neela replied.</p><p>"Alright kids, listen up," Harriet told them. "Training starts right now. It's going to be a long first day, but I'll let you have some water and if this goes on for too long, I'll let you stop and use the vending machines out in the hall, but it is currently just past 9 AM and your goal is to take this key from me." She held it up for them to see. "It doesn't open anything physically but it is the symbolic goal of letting you have lunch today, or dinner, depending on how long training goes for."</p><p>"Can she do that?" Xavier asked. Yin shrugged.</p><p>"Shut up," Natalia scolded.</p><p>"Now, you will be paired into groups of two and will fight me in sets," Harriet informed them. "If one of you loses your aura or five minutes runs out, the next group will tag in and try to take me down. And I know you might work better paired up with someone else, but I've chosen the groups for you."</p><p>"What?!" Ilia blurted out. Blake turned and began leaving.</p><p>"They'll be here all day," she mumbled.</p><p>"The groups will be Eren and Neela, Titus and Xavier, Yin and Natalia, and Orin and Ilia," Harriet listed.</p><p>"What if we opt out," Neela asked. Eren glanced at her, gritting his teeth.</p><p>"Automatic failure for the day," Harriet noted. She shook her head. "Today will be graded on effort and ability to work together with your teammate as opposed to actually accomplishing the task. I don't care if you like each other or not. You're teammates now, you have a job to do, rely on each other, and do it." Harriet took a few steps back and bounced in place.</p><p>"Who do you want first?" Orin asked.</p><p>"Surprise me," Harriet replied.</p><p>"What's her run down?" Neela asked Titus.</p><p>"Her semblance is speed and even though she's small she's powerful. Anything that she lacks in strength, and she doesn't, is made up for and amplified by those exoskeletal arms on her back," Titus informed Neela.</p><p>"We'll go first," Xavier volunteered. Titus looked at him and nodded. "I think we've got the best chance."</p><p>"We've got good counters to her semblance, but don't get cocky. Her speed <strong>will </strong>overwhelm you," Titus informed Xavier. They took a few steps out from the rest of the group and Coco gave them some space.</p><p><em>I know these kids have achieved greatness already,</em> Coco thought, <em>but I want them to become legends.</em></p><p>"As soon as someone's aura breaks the next group can tag in, right?" Neela questioned. Harriet looked at her like she asked a dumb question.</p><p>"Yes," Harriet answered. "The instant a team is out, you can attack. If you all burn through aura faster than you can replenish it, we'll have to take a break."</p><p>"You ever wanted to beat someone way stronger than you before?" Neela asked Eren. His eyes lit up.</p><p>"You have a plan?" He inquired</p><p>"You'll have to rely on others," she noted. He stammered for a moment before folding his arms.</p><p>"I…" He began. <em>She has told me that this is the only way she'll acknowledge me.</em> "Fine…" Neela looked at him. She smirked.</p><p>"Good," Neela replied.</p><p>"You have a plan?" Orin questioned, picking up on their conversation.</p><p>"We might not win, she's really strong from what I hear," Neela noted. "But this will give us a fighting chance to end it quickly." Yin nodded and smiled.</p><p>"I'm up for whatever," he replied.</p><p>"Let's do it," Ilia agreed.</p><p>"You going to count us down again?" Xavier asked as he stretched and used Titus for support to do so.</p><p>"Just go when you're ready!" She informed them. Titus looked back at Neela who had the rest of them huddled up and shook his head, smiling. Even with unbearable anxiety on her shoulders she never stopped analyzing. <em>Alright, we'll buy you some time.</em></p><p>"Just remember, she's fast, and she definitely knows what we can do," Titus suggested. Xavier nodded before phasing into the floor, Titus taking off straight for Harriet. She activated her semblance, rushing in at Titus and spinning out of the way like a football player just before she reached him, Xavier shooting up out of the floor feet first and missing her by inches as she spun back around, dodging a swiping attack from Titus. She swung through Xavier, backpedaling from another attack from Titus before launching herself at him and landing on his shoulders. She grabbed his head and wrapped her legs around his neck, despite her small frame she was able to throw him back by throwing her entire weight backward, leaping off before he landed. Xavier's hand passed through Titus's body and grazed Harriet and she looked up at him with a smirk.</p><p>"Good," Harriet replied. Her arms extended, she swatted off additional attacks with incredible speed, driving Xavier back as Titus found his feet again. Xavier fell back on purpose, spinning around capoeira style, his feet a flurry that Harriet met with her own, leaping out of the way of an attack from Titus that hit Xavier instead and sent him sprawling across the arena. Xavier bounced once before phasing into the floor again. <em>Damn, I might have underestimated the jokester, but they've still got a long way to go to beat me.</em> Harriet chuckled, racing in towards Titus again, reaching down and pulling Xavier out as he revealed himself. "It's a good semblance, but your timing is a bit predictable!"</p><p>"Guess you've got me," he shrugged. "Can't possibly win…" He smirked. "Pfft, yeah right." Titus swung through Xavier's body, a solid blow sending Harriet sliding away while still gripping onto Xavier's arm. "Ain't nobody told you I can phase only parts of my body too?" Harriet threw him away and he phased through Titus as he rolled to a stop, Harriet charging in again and ducking under another powerful sweep before leaping straight up and uppercutting Titus in the jaw. Titus stumbled back, his body instantly becoming rock as he swung back around but Harriet caught his arm and pulled him over her shoulder, slamming him into the ground and breaking his aura.</p><p>"Go!" Eren shouted.</p><p>"Right there!" Neela yelled back as she grappled Harriet. Harriet blocked Neela's feet, throwing her back a few feet as she turned and blocked Eren as well.</p><p>"We're next!" Shouted Orin.</p><p>"How about you let us play first!" Neela suggested. Harriet battered Eren away and he used his semblance to throw himself back even further, Neela opening a volley of arrow fire at Harriet.</p><p>"I want to see this semblance of yours!" Harriet exclaimed.</p><p>"Sure!" Neela shouted. She flipped her bow into its sword form as Harriet approached, activating her semblance and finding herself astonished. Normally, things were shown to her in a slower motion, but Harriet was moving at a normal running speed, though the sweat on her rolled slowly down her and her breathing seemed slow as well. Neela could block, but with the way her body had been cooperating recently, she was counting on her aura breaking quickly. She blocked several blows narrowly, landing a solid hit to Harriet's side and she slid away, using her semblance to fluidly throw her momentum back at Neela.</p><p>"How is it possible?" Harriet asked as she threw several more punches that Neela blocked. "That you can move so fast without a speed semblance?" Neela grunted and nearly hit her knees. Already? She reached her limit in such a short time, was it because Harriet was so fast, or because Neela's mind had been in shambles since that phone call?</p><p>"But you can't maintain it for long, can you?"</p><p>"Isn't that why you're here?" Neela chuckled grunting.</p><p>"Oh, spunky too?" Harriet asked. "I like you kid." Harriet threw another blow that hit Neela's arm and her aura waivered. "But this round still goes to me." One final haymaker broke Neela's aura and she slid back, Orin rushing past her before sliding to a stop as Ilia was thrown from Neela's body, her own aura broken. Orin shrugged and Harriet felt a fist pummel her just under her exoskeleton's storage pack on her back, sending her crashing across the floor away from Nat who was being silenced by Yin. One of Yin's chakram halves prevented Harriet from immediately getting up, and Nat rushed in, wrenching the key from Harriet before she could react.</p><p>"I think…" Neela grunted as she stood. "The round goes to me…" Coco shook her head as she approached Harriet and helped her up.</p><p>"Well?" Coco asked.</p><p>"They can work well together, that's for sure," Harriet admitted. "But I think once I'm done with them they'll be just as good on their own."</p><p>"I'm surprised all you planned for was overpowering them," Coco chuckled.</p><p>"That normally works with the recruits in Atlas," Harriet pointed out.</p><p>"Yeah, Neela is a little different. She's brilliant, and has tons of skill to back it up," Coco explained. Harriet nodded.</p><p>"As soon as she learns to prolong her aura, she'll be hard to beat for anyone," Harriet offered.</p><p>"I know," Coco replied watching Neela's teammates help her up.</p><p>"Is Taven here?" Natalia asked.</p><p>"He'll be coming with Elm in a few days, seeing as Coco gave me short notice," Harriet mentioned.</p><p>"Hey, this was as much of a spur of the moment for us as it was for you, I'm done chasing the Children of Salem," Coco claimed.</p><p>"You really think this is Salem's work?" Harriet pried.</p><p>"I really hope it's not," Coco admitted. "But the evidence so far suggests otherwise."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Will having Harriet there to help with training help them get ahead of the Children of Salem? Next week, Chapter 23: Ari!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Ari</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Will the kids find the Dread this week?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Was that a rooster or was that just my imagination? I mean, we're not on a farm per se, so it might not have been, but this whole Wild West meets Silent Hill vibe I've been feeling since we got here has really thrown me for a loop. I can feel the warmth of the sun, so it's definitely day, but what I am way more confused about is this pressure around my torso, and something pressing against my back. It's warm and comforting, I can say that much. Am I dreaming? No… this is real… but… Oh shit! This isn't even my fault and I know she's gonna be pissed about it! What should I do? Do I roll with it? No… bad idea… Do I… Uh… Throw me a bone?</em>
</p><p>Cobalt opened his eyes to see that light was indeed starting to pour in through the window, and much to his dismay, Tawney had her arms wrapped around his torso and was spooning him. He tried prying her hands off but she gripped tighter, nuzzling into his neck, something that he'd normally find endearing, but right now, he was far more worried about not dying.</p><p>"Hey…" He whispered to her. "Tawney… you're dreaming…"</p><p>"Hmmm?" She groaned slightly.</p><p>"I know this looks bad, but think logically," he told her. "You wouldn't normally do this, so it has to be a dream, right?"</p><p>"Cobalt?" She managed as she opened her eyes and blinked them repeatedly, trying to focus.</p><p>"That's right, nice and easy," he eased her awake.</p><p>"What the hell is going on here?!" She yelled at him.</p><p>"Didn't we have a nice heart to heart last night?!" He shouted back as she released him and leapt off of the bed, flipping the mattress off of it along with him.</p><p>"Well, apparently it went right to your head!" She bellowed. She stared at him for a moment, chest heaving before she finally recalled the night before. "I… I didn't mean that…'' She walked around and helped him up. "But nobody needs to know about that side of me, got it!?" He chuckled and nodded. Back to the same old Tawney.</p><p>"Yeah, got it," Cobalt replied.</p><p>"I'm going to get dressed in the bathroom, you can dress out here," she informed him. He nodded.</p><p>"Alright," he replied. Once they were ready they stepped out into the hallway with Nora who was tapping repeatedly on Lykos and Bái's door, trying to wake them up without barging in. "Morning Mrs. Ren. How late were you out after us?"</p><p>"Not at all," she informed him. "With all the Grimm crawling around in town I wasn't taking my chances alone out of town, not to mention it being dark in an area I'm unfamiliar with. I came back hoping to get a drink in the saloon before bed, but the bartender had already headed home for the night. Guess that's life sometimes."</p><p>"Hopefully they at least do breakfast," Tawney mentioned.</p><p>"I could go for some pancakes right about now, but they won't be as good as Ren's," she sighed. Lykos and Bái finally left their room, staring at them before looking at each other.</p><p>"What?" Lykos asked.</p><p>"Could you have two have taken any longer?" Tawney scolded.</p><p>"We could go back in," Lykos suggested with a shrug.</p><p>"I think we should get going," Nora interjected.</p><p>"Sure!" Bái replied with a smile and Lykos smirked. Cobalt looked at them for a moment. <em>That's the look of a guy who got laid. Must be nice…</em></p><p>"I'll be looking into the abandoned mine today, you four keep busy and find out whatever you can," Nora instructed.</p><p>"Nothing beats a free grade, right guys?" Cobalt chuckled as Nora shot him a stern look. "That was a joke, heh."</p><p>"Cobalt, how about you survey the area and construct a topographical map for me?" Nora asked him.</p><p>"I could, but we have no internet so… it will be a bit tricky," he replied. She gave a cockeyed smile.</p><p>"So you can't do it?" Nora questioned.</p><p>"What?" He shot back. "No, I can do it! It just might take me the better part of a day or two."</p><p>"Great!" Nora exclaimed. "I doubt it will be as easy as entering the old mines anyway." They made their way downstairs, noting the bartender washing mugs again but Cobalt shot him a double-take. His eyes were overly sunken in now, and his frame looked thin and frail. He trembled as he dried the glass stein, doing his best not to drop it.</p><p>"Mrs. Ren," Bái whispered. Nora held her hand up to them. This man was dying, and it seemed likely that the rest of the town probably was too. Was the Dread doing this, or was there something else at work here? The only thing they were certain of so far was the effects on the human body, the chemicals in the plant were processed into a form that when taken, caused the body to react as if in fear, even though that side effect seemed to have been worked out at this point. It would cause the mind to pump in double if not triple the necessary adrenaline into someone's body. Oobleck has gotten his hands on some, also noting that the user typically crashed afterward. They knew nothing about the production, or how it would affect the environment around it.</p><p>"I see," Nora replied to her, approaching the counter. "Excuse me, sir. Are you okay?" He turned slowly to look at her, the light completely gone from his eyes and he couldn't be bothered with smiling.</p><p>"Yes?" He shakily managed.</p><p>"Are you okay?" She repeated.</p><p>"Just a bit tired," he claimed. "Had trouble getting to sleep last night with the Grimm attack. Always scares me when that happens."</p><p>"I'm still guessing Apathy," Tawney whispered.</p><p>"Wouldn't we be affected too?" Bái asked.</p><p>"Yes, we would," Lykos noted.</p><p>"What the hell else could be doing this?" Tawney inquired.</p><p>"The Dread?" Cobalt suggested.</p><p>"But they have to be manufacturing it underground, right? Would the effects really be that strong?" Lykos pondered.</p><p>"What else could it be?" Bái questioned.</p><p>"A new Grimm?" Cobalt offered. They all looked at him. "What?"</p><p>"You really have to suggest the worst possible scenario, don't you?" Tawney groaned.</p><p>"I was just spitballing like the rest of you!" He defended himself.</p><p>"Well, it doesn't sound like he does breakfast, so you kids go do whatever, and I'm going to stop by the mercantile first," Nora told them.</p><p>"We'll probably go with you," Lykos noted. "We didn't bring any food."</p><p>"Same," Tawney added.</p><hr/><p>"So I've triangulated the area," Cobalt said to himself as he sat beneath a large tree close to the town and looked at his scroll. "The locations that I've mapped should be accurate to a couple of feet. Can we scan for Dust deposits close to the surface?"</p><p>
  <em>*It's possible as long as the Dust is within a few feet of the surface*</em>
</p><p>"I'm guessing that you'll need samples so you know what you're looking for?" Cobalt asked his visor. "Of course you do, I programmed you."</p><p>"Is that a scroll?" A voice asked Cobalt.</p><p>"Yes, it is," Cobalt replied as he stood and removed the different types of Dust from a small pouch he'd brought with him.</p><p>"Do you get a signal out here?" It inquired.</p><p>"No," he responded, scanning the Dusts.</p><p>"Then how did you map out coordinates?" It questioned. Cobalt chuckled to himself.</p><p>"Well, I set up three transmitters, if you will, and mapped out the difference between them. From there it was relatively simple," Cobalt noted. "I mean, simple for me anyways. It'll also tell me where there are untapped Dust deposits around the town, which will come in handy during any more Grimm attacks and what have you."</p><p>"Can I take a look at your scroll? I haven't seen one in years!" They requested. Cobalt stopped and looked around.</p><p>"Wait, are you not a voice in my head?" Cobalt said out loud. A girl leapt down from out of the tree above him and he stumbled back. <em>I thought this was your handy work!</em></p><p>
  <em>Nope, she's real.</em>
</p><p>She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, looking out triumphantly. She was shorter, shorter than Cobalt anyway, and probably the same age. She wore a long t-shirt that didn't look baggy, coming down just far enough to cover her butt, black stockings came up to her thighs, leaving a small gap between the two articles. The shirt had a faded SDC logo that Cobalt recognized from history class, he wondered how something so old could be absent of tears. Her long orange hair curled tightly, falling down to her body's halfway point where her tips were white. She had a bushy red panda tail that peaked out from under the shirt, waving to and fro. Her eyes were diamond colored, it was the best Cobalt knew to describe them.</p><p>"Well?" She asked. "Hand it over."</p><p>"You don't look sickly," he managed as he handed over the scroll. Her eyes lit up with amazement.</p><p>"Wow, it is real!" She blurted. "Amazing!" She glanced back up at him and cleared her throat. "Ahem!<br/>Of course, I'm not sick, I have an Aura!"</p><p>"What?" Cobalt asked. She smiled and leaned forward towards him, sticking her tongue out.</p><p>"I. Have. An. Aura," she repeated. "Catch it that time?"</p><p>"No, I caught it the first time, I just…" He began. <em>Wait… what if she's not supposed to be here? What if she's one of the Children of Salem. I should be careful.</em> She moved closer and examined his visor, she reached for it gently and peered through it.</p><p>"What's this thing?" She asked.</p><p>"My visor. It has a computer that I programmed that helps me in combat. Listen…" He started.</p><p>"What?! That's amazing! Are you some kind of genius!? You have to be, right?" She questioned loudly.</p><p>"Thanks," he replied puffing his chest out. "Yes, I'm pretty smart as you can tell. But um… who are you?"</p><p>"As a gentleman, I think you should introduce yourself first," she replied with a sly grin.</p><p>"Cobalt Thénard," he said reaching his hand out to shake hers. She placed his scroll back in his hand.</p><p>"Arrietty Almas, but my friends call me Ari… if I had any that is," she informed him as she sat on the log he had chosen before and looked up at him. "Town orphan. Well, kind of. I'm a bit of a drifter. Only been here for a few weeks. I'm really good at hiding in the woods. My parents died when I was really young, they refused to join the White Fang or something? The details are fuzzy, I only know what the Fang told me, and I have to say, I am super glad that they are gone. Athena was the worst, there's nothing wrong with humans."</p><p>"A few weeks, huh?" Cobalt spoke. "Have you met Samson?"</p><p>"No," she admitted. "He makes me feel a bit intimidated, and he's only really around at night when the Grimm attack."</p><p>"Where does he go during the day?" Cobalt asked. She shrugged and leaned back as far as she could without falling off of her seat.</p><p>"I don't know," she explained. "I usually just try to stay out of his way." She hummed happily before leaping to her feet without warning and covering her mouth. She waved her hands wildly and pointed at him. "I bet you have a semblance, right?! I don't think I have one, but it would be cool to see yours!" Cobalt looked at her. She was an odd one, but if her story was true, he felt for her. He was lonely enough growing up without siblings, though his parents were there for him. She had no one, he didn't count the cult that tried to integrate her.</p><p>"Sure," he told her. He cloned himself and the clone held out its hand in an attempt to shake hers again. She lit up and leapt up and down.</p><p>"Amazing! You're so cool!" She told him. "I really wish I could become a huntress but I'm pretty weak and the idea of going to one of those schools is crazy! They'd probably just laugh at me and throw me out. No semblance. She won't shut up. She's so weak. Get her out of here!" Ari laughed. "That's life I guess though."</p><p>"I'm sure if you worked hard at it you could do it," he reassured her. "Trust me, I was nothing but skin and bones before I got to Beacon."</p><p>"And brains," she corrected. He smirked at her.</p><p>"And brains," he grinned. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to get back to figuring out where they're making the Dread around here and who's behind it…" His eyes narrowed. <em>I wasn't supposed to say that!</em></p><p>"That sounds awesome!" She exclaimed, her eyes lighting up once more. "You guys are so lucky and I'm totally impeding your work! I'm so sorry! I should let you get back to it!"</p><p>"Thanks," he smiled at her.</p><p>"Will we see each other again?" She asked, her smile fading. "I understand if you say no. It's… it's just been lonely without anyone else my age here to talk to. You've got work and I'm being selfish, nevermind."</p><p>"Ari," he stopped her. Her jaw slacked. Nobody called her that! "If I'm still here tomorrow I'll be by at the same time, okay?" Tears filled her eyes and she nodded wildly, smiling.</p><p>"Yes! Thank you, Cobalt!" She said running off. Cobalt watched her disappear around a building and he chuckled. <em>Was that all in my head, or was that really the cutest girl I've ever met?</em> He shrugged it off, he had to finish calibrating the makeshift GPS and still wanted to complete mapping the Dust deposits by the end of the day.</p><hr/><p>Nora slowly entered the old mine outside of the village on her own. Samson had been called away by one of the townspeople to take them to a hospital in Vale, the Dread in the air was starting to make these people sick enough to die. She couldn't wait around any longer, if she needed to investigate without him, so be it. The opening cavern was relatively typical of these structures, most of the Dust veins that remained in the walls weren't large or desirable enough to be mined, rails littered the floors with a single minecart remaining in the middle on an old rickety wooden freight elevator.</p><p>Nora noted the anchor rope along the wall near the platform and moved closer. They must have been worried about the platform giving out someday, and now that it had sat for decades without use, Nora understood the concern. She slowly moved the cart, pushing it off before operating the rope that lowered and raised the platform, descending into the depths of the cave, unsure of what she'd actually find. Was the Dread down here? What if it was heavily guarded. She chuckled. She could take them.</p><p>It creaked loudly as she made her way down, she tumbled as the wooden pallet nearly tossed her off as she caught a rock on the wall of the narrow shaft, screaming out of instinct before laughing at herself nervously. It was nothing. The air, however, was growing colder, but it seemed more than physical… like a chill that she recognized from somewhere. She reached the bottom abruptly, smashing into it and ducking out of the way as the lantern that lit the elevator swung back and forth. Was it stuck?</p><p>Only half of the doorway was uncovered by earth and Nora squeezed herself through it, finding that a minecart had been tipped long ways into the hole, as though people weren't meant to reach this floor anymore. Had it been an accident or placed there on purpose. Nora was unsure why the mine shut down, the people of the town weren't the most helpful, only going as far as to say to stay far away from it, and that the SDC had something to do with its closure. Only enough there were sconces that lined the walls that were lit. This has to be the place, and someone seemed to be down here. She moved forward slowly, flipping her weapon into its hammer form as she crept deeper in.</p><p>The cold got worse the closer that she got to the end of the tunnel, her body didn't shiver however as much as it did tremble. This wasn't freezing temperatures, this felt sinister as if she was slowly approaching her death and she was too far in to walk away. There was a brazier in the middle of an intersection, the structure had gradually changed from structurally unsound wooden beams to what appeared to be old ruins. Stone pillars that had stood the test of time held the room up proudly and Nora gazed into the fire as she lowered her hammer. It was as if… someone was calling her…</p><p>
  <em>Do not fear…</em>
</p><p>She leapt back, the raging fire was suddenly snuffed out, leaving her in the dark as all of the sconces behind her were extinguished as well. What was happening? Another hallway lit itself and Nora's eye immediately followed it down. A long corridor, it appeared to end in yet another bonfire of sorts, and so she followed it, unsure of what she would find at the end of searching this labyrinth, and uncertain that she even wanted to know. Once more she slowly made her way towards the next beacon of light, once more she felt drawn to it with little ability to resist. This felt so… familiar…</p><p>She reached the next intersection, the fire seemed to burn brighter than ever before. But it offered no warmth, and only fed Nora's instincts that something was terribly wrong.</p><p>
  <em>Come closer, child, and gain the knowledge that you seek…</em>
</p><p>The flames burnt out again. New ones were lit. Nora felt herself moving faster despite the terror that welled within her.</p><p>
  <em>What you are searching for is not here…</em>
</p><p>Darkness.</p><p>Light.</p><p>
  <em>But I am…</em>
</p><p>The final brazier was dimmed to reveal to Nora that a temple of sorts resided on the other side. She walked around, entering the chamber which held no more than an altar, and four pillars that were chained to a statue of Salem in the middle. Only… she didn't appear to be the one chained. It seemed more accurate that she was restraining them.</p><p>"Show yourself!" Nora shouted in fear.</p><p>
  <em>You must not interfere with the work of my children. You do not understand the consequences such actions would bring.</em>
</p><p>Salem. Nora knew her presence and her voice. So she was still alive in some capacity. She smirked and set her hammer down.</p><p>"You think that'll work? Telling us to stop? We killed you once, no matter what your kids have up their sleeves, we'll just kill you again," Nora laughed.</p><p>
  <em>You do not listen. You do not understand.</em>
</p><p>"What is it this time, hm?" Nora asked. "Destroying Remnant without the help of a couple of gods?"</p><p>
  <em>Do you believe everything that Ozpin tells you? How do you know that Jinn wasn't an elaborate fabrication created by the man himself to keep you from doubting his motives?</em>
</p><p>Nora shook her head.</p><p>"Listen, if the Dread isn't here and you have nothing useful to tell me, I'll just be leaving," Nora informed her.</p><p>
  <em>I am bound by an oath to my power that I must not speak directly of what I have been cursed with. You may only know that killing me a final time will lead to an ending many of you may not survive.</em>
</p><p>"Well, we're pretty tough, so I think that's a risk we'll take," Nora stated. Nora moved to the altar and ran her hand along the top of it. This was bad. All of it was. Salem still being around. And no sign of the Dread, at least down here.</p><p>
  <em>Then behold my power… and beware The Four…</em>
</p><p>Nora finally recognized the feeling of fear as the same one that had gripped her once, long ago after Emerald had shown them Salem's image in Haven. She took a step back, Baby Deathstalkers began pouring out of the walls as a Beringel dropped from the ceiling above and roared at her, beating its chest. Nora swung her hammer around over her head, slamming it against the floor with an extra rocket-boosted bit of power that created a shock wave that eliminated most of the Deathstalkers. This seemed to irk the big one, he swung at her, and despite blocking she was thrown down the hallway from whence she came.</p><p>"Come on then!" Nora shouted. If this was the best that Salem had after all of this time being dead she was going to have to try harder. "Gonna have to move a little bit faster, big guy!" The Beringel tore through the hall, his sheer force putting out the sconces that had been relit and as he reached Nora's intersection she smirked, launching a barrage of missiles to hold him back before leaping around the room and destroying the pillars that held it up. "Say goodnight!" The room crumbled, burying the Beringel who cried out with an angry roar before being entombed by the rubble from above. Nora wiped her hands.</p><p>She turned to head back down the path she'd come from originally to find a pool of tar that spawned another Beringel. She sighed and groaned.</p><p>"Is this how it's going to be?" Nora whined.</p><p>
  <em>Blood has nearly perfected my beasts… are your Huntsmen and Huntresses ready?</em>
</p><p>"All I'm hearing is talk!" Nora declared. "I'll smash this entire place apart if I have to!"</p><p>
  <em>And what will you tell the people above when their precious town crumbled into a hole that you created?</em>
</p><p>Nora bit her lip. Was Salem bluffing, or would tearing this place down really doom the village above it?" She shrugged it off as she sprinted straight for the beast, swinging her hammer over her head and launching herself over it, running towards the elevator without acknowledging it. How long was this going to go on? If she made it to the elevator she knew she could get out without it stopping her, but the odds were pretty good that it would chase. At least she could kill it safely in the woods. Now the question that tugged at the back of her mind was why Samson hadn't scoped the place out earlier, though maybe it was better that he didn't, seeing as he was getting up there in age.</p><p>She looked back just for a moment, the Grimm just steps behind her. She looked at her hammer in her hands for a moment.</p><p>"Haven't had to do this in some time," she said to herself as she compacted it and rode it down the hall like a rocket. "Should give me enough of a speed boost!" She leapt off as she reached her destination, sliding herself quickly back onto the elevator and pulling the rope as quickly as she could. There was the top, at the moment she couldn't have cared less if that lantern fell, she just needed to get to the surf… The contraption stopped abruptly, jarring her arms slightly and the rest of her body as she stumbled. She looked through the loosely assembled flooring to see the Beringel yanking on the rope below her.</p><p>Even easier. She smashed the roof off, destroying the lantern in the process and setting the wooden box ablaze as she launched herself out of the chasm and back up to the main floor, watching as the booth crashed onto the Grimm below. She gave a sigh of relief, though her nerves were now shot over knowing that Salem was still… alive? Perhaps it was nothing more than a ruse, she had only heard a voice… but… the chill she felt while she was down there was unmistakable. Somehow, Salem's spirit persisted.</p><p>She began heading out of the mountain when she spotted a Beringel in the entryway and she ducked behind one of the carts. Was it the same one?! Had another heard the commotion and been attracted to it? Was this one spawned by Salem as well? What did she mean by saying Blood had nearly perfected the Grimm? Nora leapt over the cart and began charging it, only reaching halfway before a bullet through its skull caused it to fade to smoke. She glanced out into the sunlight at Samson who tipped his hat.</p><p>"Just couldn't wait, huh?" Samson asked her.</p><p>"Did you know what's down there?" She questioned.</p><p>"Not sure what the fuss is all about," he replied. "Looked like a Beringel to me. You never fight one of them?"</p><p>"I saw something… or heard something rather…" Nota noted.</p><p>"Not sure what you're on about," he told her. "Maybe you should take a seat and drink some water or something." Nora rubbed her forehead.</p><p>"Yeah, maybe," she agreed. It felt real. It had to be real. She had to tell the council. And what did Salem mean by 'Beware The Four'? She looked at her scroll and sighed. Right, no signal. Maybe she'd head back to her room and think over what to do next, she currently had no leads and wasn't entirely sure where she should start.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The four? Next week, Chapter 24: Mambo!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Mambo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ilia forgets her scroll in the dorm room... That's all I got lol</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You know, we've been talking to each other again for a few weeks now, but you never told me why you were here," Titus informed Natalia as they sat together in his dorm room, working on homework. Natalia chuckled under her breath, returning to her work and more or less dismissing his question. He knew better than to ask her, and if he didn't, she was going to have to lie about it. "Nat. Please."</p><p>"You know that I can't tell you that unless I'm given express permission from Glynda to do so," Natalia reminded him. "It's no different than the high-profile mission you were given when you were promoted." He stared at her blankly for a long moment before she gasped. "Are you telling me that you weren't given a classified mission to work on when you became Lieutenant General?!"</p><p>"She didn't have one available at the time," Titus explained. "It's not like I wouldn't tell you mine if I did have one." He glanced up at her, reading her eyes before returning to his paper. She scoffed.</p><p>"One Man Army!? Are you, of all people, asking me to bend the rules and tell you the details of my mission?" She gawked. He shook his head.</p><p>"I would never do such a thing," he stated. "I'm slightly appalled that you came to that conclusion." He smirked devilishly before moving his chair closer to hers. "I could make it worth your while." She swallowed hard and blushed.</p><p>"Are you… is this a test?! Did Winter put you up to this?! This isn't like you!" Natalia shouted. Titus leaned in to whisper in her ear.</p><p>"I've changed since I left you," he said quietly. "You tell me the briefing you were given for your mission and I'll do whatever you'd like." Her face became red. <em>Whatever!? This was madness! It has to be a test! I've undergone interrogation resistance training, there is no way that I'm going to let this break me!</em> She nodded slowly.</p><p>"Where can we go that's more private?" Natalia questioned. Titus stood and helped her up by the hand. He motioned with his head.</p><p>"There's a classroom that's been closed off for remodeling and the construction crew is off for the week. Once classes are done for the day we can discuss things in full without any interruption," Titus explained. <em>I hope he's talking about my mission! What if he's not!? Ahhhhh! </em>She tugged at her collar.</p><p>"Yeah… okay…" She agreed. "So where are we going?"</p><p>"I figured I could show you the place now so you'd know where to go later," Titus informed her. She pulled back against him. "What's going on?"</p><p>"I figured maybe you could do me that favor first and then I'd tell you about my mission later," she suggested. Titus stared out the window and nodded.</p><p>"That seems fair. Did you need help with anything? Any homework?" He inquired.</p><p>"I had something else in mind…" she sheepishly stated.</p><p>"What?" He asked.</p><hr/><p>"Gods! Again!? These second years never cease to piss me off! They could literally be outnumbered two to one by actual, competent fighters, and they'd still find a way to pull out a win somehow! Did you read this article? What the hell was your team doing last night?! Why didn't they have you guys take care of this!?" Soya shouted in the midst of the busy hallway as she tossed the newspaper at Rowan and it nailed him in the chest. He grunted, grabbing it quickly and flipping it over to find NITE plastered on the front page, accompanied by an article about the team's feat that night and an interview given from Coco.</p><p>"You know as well as I do that the teachers are in charge of assigning missions," Rowan reminded her as he tossed the paper away and watched it slide down the hall for a bit before someone accidentally kicked it away. "Are you still upset about the tournament last year? I can't imagine why else it would bother you so much that Neela's on a 'winning streak'."</p><p>"You know I don't care for Faunus," Soya grumbled. He looked at her for a long moment and she cleared her throat. "You're the exception, you're easy to manipulate."</p><p>"I feel like I should probably be insulted by that," Rowan noted.</p><p>"Why?" She questioned. "I meant it as a sincere compliment." He rolled his eyes and shook his head.</p><p>"Thanks," he replied.</p><p>"I hate her," Soya told him. "She's just perfect and she doesn't have to try at it, and it pisses me off!"</p><p>"So then, what are we going to do about it?" Rowan asked her as students brushed past him.</p><p>"I have a pretty good idea to get my revenge," she noted. "We just have to wait until the dance that's coming up to carry it out." Soya smirked as she watched Ilia and Ivory head towards them from down the hall. "They're all so dense."</p><p>"So, what are your plans for the day?" Ivory asked Ilia as they headed past Soya and Rowan, nearly bumping into the two of them.</p><p>"Watch where you're walking!" Soya yelled at her.</p><p>"Watch where you're standing," Ilia replied. Soya tilted her head and followed after her.</p><p>"I beg your pardon?" Soya shouted on her heels.</p><p>"Listen, I don't have the patience to put up with you ever since that stunt you pulled with Bái. Scram before I pay you back for it," Ilia told her. She shook her head and motioned for Ivory to follow. Soya watched on as they disappeared from sight.</p><p>"That went well," Rowan chuckled.</p><p>"Shut up," Soya instructed him.</p><hr/><p>"As I was saying, I was at Jaune and Pyrrha's this morning for breakfast, and I think I'm going to head into Vale to buy some Dust. Want to come with? I'd ask Neela, but ever since that phone call, she hasn't been doing great. Sure, that victory against Harriet raised her spirits, but not for long. I just hope that she can get back to where she was before this all started," Ilia told Ivory as they stepped outside.</p><p>"Sure I'll go with you," Ivory said with a smile. "What happened with Neela and Eliana anyway?" Ilia laughed sheepishly.</p><p>"I'd tell you, but I don't know how many people Neela wants knowing that," Ilia explained. Ivory held up a hand.</p><p>"Say no more then," Ivory offered with a smile. "Did you let Vin know that we're heading into town?" Ilia grimaced and sighed. Ever since Xavier had offered to walk her back to the dorms that night, Vin had been keeping tabs on her every move. She meant to address it with him, he was starting to remind her of her father, which was just pushing her further away… but maybe Vin was just overly protective? She gave him the benefit of the doubt. He had the right to be jealous, and maybe he was the possessive type and she had just never noticed?</p><p>"Not yet, I guess I probably should," Ilia noted as she felt around for her scroll and noticed that it was missing. Where had she left it?</p><p>"Problem?" Ivory asked her as Ilia racked her brain.</p><p>"I must have left it back in the room I guess," Ilia suggested as she shrugged and Ivory groaned.</p><p>"Sure, yeah, why not?" she sighed. "We'll walk all the way back up there."</p><p>"It's not like we had anything better to do," Ilia reminded her.</p><p>"Fair," Ivory replied. They headed back in the direction they came from, passing by Soya once more.</p><p>"Back for seconds?" Soya asked as she cocked her hip with a stupid grin on her face.</p><p>"I'm not surprised that you didn't hear me properly when I walked through the first time with all of that hot air in your head," Ilia taunted. Soya took a step towards her.</p><p>"You want to go?" Soya shouted. Ilia stood still, facing ahead before turning slightly to look Soya in the eyes.</p><p>"Go where? There's a perfectly good floor here that I can mop with you," Ilia stated. Soya turned red and reached out to grapple Ilia when a hand gripped her and pulled her away.</p><p>"Don't try it," Coco stated.</p><p>"She started it!" Soya yelled as Rowan slowly made his exit.</p><p>"You want to end it in detention?" Coco asked. Soya jerked away and flipped Ilia off before heading down the hall after Rowan.</p><p>"Sounds like favoritism to me," Soya called back. Coco shook her head and sighed as she looked Ilia over.</p><p>"Can't you like… avoid her?" Coco requested.</p><p>"What, and ruin my fun?" Ilia inquired.</p><p>"I hate to break this to you, but Harriet is the instructor in charge of you four this year, and trust me, I'll be way more forgiving," Coco informed her. Ilia nodded.</p><p>"Okay, thanks," Ilia agreed as she left with Ivory.</p><p>"You guys should just ignore her," Ivory suggested. "She's washed up and overrated."</p><p>"That might be true, but she tried hurting our friend, and we still aren't exactly over it," Ilia informed her as they left the building and headed for the dorms. "So, you guys have been on a team with Vin ever since you started your first years?" Ivory rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Not exactly," Ivory explained. "I'm surprised he hasn't told you any of this." Ivory paused for a moment. "Actually, no I'm not."</p><p>"How did it happen then?" Ilia asked.</p><p>"He's got deep pockets. Like, crazy deep pockets," Ivory told Ilia. "He was on his own doing some individual studies and didn't really plan on becoming a full-blown huntsman until we started dating. He got a call one day, though he never really told me who it was, and decided that he'd pay for me and my brother to be on a team with him since we were just attending one of the smaller academies at the time. Yvonne just happened to be another solo student that was looking for a team, and boy, you should have seen her eyes light up when he told her that we were coming to Beacon to study."</p><p>"Makes you wonder what that call was all about," Ilia offered. Ivory nodded.</p><p>"Yeah, but I don't think about it too much. It got me here, and that's good enough for me. Rowan and I have always wanted to be a pro huntress and huntsman, but until Vin came along, it didn't seem possible," Ivory said. "And now… we're here. It's surreal. And I've made some good friends." She bumped Ilia and gave her a wink. "Seriously though, if it doesn't work out with the two of you, the offer is on the table." Ilia laughed.</p><p>"I'll keep that in mind," Ilia chuckled. They opened the door to the dorms and entered, Ivory looking around and holding back a fit of laughter as she shook her head. "What?"</p><p>"You could be sleeping with us out at the beach house and yet you choose to room here," Ivory noted. "I just don't get it."</p><p>"I just prefer rooming with my teammates. Between Yvonne's antics every single night, Rowan's snoring, and Vin acting like 'big brother', I don't think that I would get very much sleep," Ilia informed her. Ivory looked away and fidgeted her fingers.</p><p>"So the two of you… haven't… you know…" Ivory pried.</p><p>"No!" Ilia blurted out turning red and taking Ivory off guard. "Honestly, don't get me wrong, I like him a lot, but my childhood was really shitty and I'm trying slowly to make improvements." Ivory nodded.</p><p>"Don't let him rush you," Ivory told her. "You ever feel rushed, you let me know. I will take him out back and you'll never hear from him again." Ilia shook her head and chuckled.</p><p>"I don't know if that's necessary," Ilia replied.</p><p>"If it ever is… just saying… I have an ax to grind… figuratively and literally," Ivory offered.</p><p>"Sure," Ilia said with a smile. They reached Team NITE's floor and Ilia turned to Ivory. "You don't have to follow me all the way to the room. I can grab it quickly."</p><p>"Don't leave me waiting too long," Ivory called after her. Ilia laughed to herself and ran down the hall, stopping as she reached the door and turning the handle to find that it was locked. She jiggled it a bit to make sure that it hadn't become stuck for some reason, removing her keys and placing them into the lock. Titus didn't normally lock the door when he left the room, but she couldn't think of any reason for him to do so if he was still in here with…</p><p>The sight Ilia was greeted with was instantly burned into the back of her mind as she viewed Titus from behind, who was gratuitously covered with enough sheets that she couldn't make anything out, from where he sat she could make out deep and fresh claw marks on his back. Natalita was wrapped around him, her legs clinging on for dear life around his torso as her arms were draped over his shoulders. She made eye contact briefly with Ilia, holding a finger to her lips which seemed to draw Titus's attention.</p><p>"Is something wrong?" He asked breathily, trying to turn to face the door but Natalia grabbed him and kissed him deeply as Ilia slowly backed out. She closed the door as quietly as she could manage, her eyes wide and mind blank as she stared into the void that was forming in front of her eyes.</p><p>
  <em>Did… what… that… but… and…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>WHAT?!</em>
</p><p>"Did you find your scroll?" Ivory asked in Ilia's ear, almost causing her to jump out of her skin.</p><p>"It was dead!" Ilia blurted before lowering her voice. "Super dead. Never been more dead actually. So… yeah… we'll just have to drop in at the beach house… cause it has to charge…" Ivory raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"You okay?" Ivory questioned.</p><p>"Yes. Yep. Fine. We should go," Ilia insisted, leaving quickly. Ivory nodded, pausing for a moment before following after her.</p><hr/><p>"Why does food taste so bland right now?" Neela asked as she sat down in the cafeteria for lunch with Ilia.</p><p>"I don't have the stomach to eat either right now," Ilia noted.</p><p>"Feeling okay?" Neela asked her.</p><p>"Who are you seeing for counseling again?" Ilia inquired. "I might need to go next." Neela stabbed at her food haphazardly when Natalia sat down across from them, beaming.</p><p>"You seem to be in a good mood," Neela offered.</p><p>"I am in a fantastic mood. Can I borrow Ilia?" Natalia requested. Ilia stood slowly and shakily as she followed the Atlesian. Neela cracked a grin.</p><p>"It's about time he got laid," Neela noted. Ilia walked to the far end of the cafeteria with Natalia, the two of them sitting by themselves at the furthest table, Natalia keeping an eye on the door the entire time to make sure that no one came through while she was talking to Ilia.</p><p>"This is a bit embarrassing," Natalia said blushing.</p><p>"I saw nothing," Ilia replied. "But I am well aware of what was going on."</p><p>"Sorry," Natalia sheepishly apologized. "We didn't think you were coming back so soon. Not to mention we locked the door."</p><p>"Does he know that I opened the door?" Ilia asked. Natalia shook her head. "And you don't want me to tell anyone?"</p><p>"It would mean the world to me if you just keep this to yourself," Natalia blurted out, lowering her voice as someone entered. "He's hard enough to get out of that shell anyway. I feel like if people tell him that they know that he'll completely regress and go back to being a One Man Army again."</p><p>"I prefer Gargoyle, but I hear you," Ilia said sighing. "I won't tell anyone for both of your sakes."</p><p>"Thank you!" Natalia blurted as she leapt to her feet and saluted.</p><p>"Just do me a favor," Ilia instructed with a grin.</p><p>"Hm?" Natalia questioned.</p><p>"Pick somewhere else to do it from now on," Ilia chuckled. Natalia rubbed the back of her neck.</p><p>"Heh… sure," she agreed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that was a thing. Next week, Chapter 25: Showdown!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Showdown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>CBLT and Nora finally figure out what's going on out in the woods...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, Silent here. Short chapter this week, but the next arc is one that you won't want to miss! Hope you all are enjoying Year 2!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cobalt tried to find his feet as he struggled through the pain of what he believed to be a cracked rib, his left arm was more than broken, and everything ached as his vision began to return and he stumbled about, using his right arm to keep his left arm from moving too much. He glanced around, looking for his teammates but found himself unable to spot them through the dark crystal spires that Salem had raised around her battleground. Cobalt allowed his AI to do the work for him, identifying Lykos, Bái, and Tawney through the barrier. Lykos and Bái were safe on the other side, though Lykos held her in his arms, while Tawney was trapped in Salem's grip.</p><p>"Lykos!" Cobalt shouted. "Lykos, can you get to Tawney!?" Cobalt felt panic setting in as he wasn't sure that he was being heard and Tawney really seemed to be struggling. He tried thinking of a solution quickly, but his AI informed him that he didn't have any time for such luxuries.</p><p>
  <em>*Probability of death by asphyxiation is at 68% and rising*</em>
</p><p>"No!" Cobalt yelled. He limped over to the crystal wall, wailing on it with his blade as best as he could, but the blade barely even left a scratch. "No! No! No! Lykos!" He knew that his wails were in vain, his visor allowed him to see through the barrier that Salem had created, Tawney gripped the woman's hand but was unable to free herself, her legs kicking as she struggled with everything that she had. Salem was too strong. They never could have taken her. What were they doing out here? He looked at the sword in his hand, staring at it for a long moment as the gears turned in his mind and he came to a horrifying realization that seized his body with fear.</p><p>
  <em>*Tawney's probability of death by asphyxiation is 73% and rising*</em>
</p><p>He had no aura left. Was there nothing he could do but watch Tawney die?!</p><hr/><p>Cobalt sat straight up and gasped for air as he felt his chest and looked beside him at Tawney who seemed to also be in a cold sweat. He shook her to wake her up, taking a fist to the jaw as she sprang up.</p><p>"What the fuck!?" She blurted out as she glanced around the room and found Cobalt on the floor. "Cobalt? What the hell happened?"</p><p>"Less important…" he groaned. "More important. Did you have some kind of weird nightmare?" She looked at him for a long second before leaning over the side of the bed to help him up.</p><p>"How'd you know?" She asked.</p><p>"I don't know if it's the lingering effects of the Bane, or if it's the new productive effects of the Dread, but I had a pretty bad one too. I'd be willing to bet that Lykos, Bái, and Nora suffered one as well. I wonder how much worse they'll get if we have to be here for another night," Cobalt pointed out.</p><p>"Worse?" Tawney asked. "Can it get worse than what I just dreamt?" He looked at her for a long moment, swallowing hard.</p><p>"What was your nightmare?" He asked. She flushed and looked away.</p><p>"It wasn't… it wasn't anything…" she tried covering up the lingering fear.</p><p>"You can tell me what happened," he reassured her.</p><p>"All three of you died in a battle against Salem," Tawney admitted. Cobalt nodded.</p><p>"Sounds kind of like mine," he admitted. Their door was thrown open and Lykos and Bái stood in the hallway with Nora.</p><p>"We all good?!" Nora asked.</p><p>"Yeah," Cobalt replied. "Dread?" Nora stared for a moment, debating whether she should tell them or not.</p><p>"Salem," Nora spoke after a long moment. A chill washed over each of them.</p><p>"What?" Bái asked.</p><p>"How, she's dead," Lykos stated.</p><p>"She is, but it seems her spirit is still lingering about," Nora informed them. "It's nothing to worry about. As long as she has no body to return to, she's trapped as a specter. We killed her and her backup plan years ago, all she can do now is haunt people."</p><p>"Is this what's causing the people here to fear and become sick?" Bái questioned.</p><p>"The fear perhaps," Cobalt noted. "The sickness doesn't affect people with auras."</p><p>"That's just what Samson said, what if he was lying?" Lykos inquired.</p><p>"He's not," Cobalt noted. "There's a girl here that's our age. Ari. She hasn't been sickened either."</p><p>"So now what?" Tawney asked. "Where the hell are they making this stuff?"</p><p>"If the temple was below the mine, maybe the Dread is being made beneath the church?" Cobalt suggested. Nora shrugged.</p><p>"Worth a shot," Nora noted. She turned around. "I'll get dressed and let Samson know where I'm planning to look next."</p><p>"Sounds like a plan!" Cobalt called out as she left. "When she takes him with her, we check out the jail."</p><p>"You think it's Samson?" Bái questioned.</p><p>"He didn't know about Ari. He assumed he'd be the only one left alive if the whole town died and he'd be free to do his work. He just called us to save face," Cobalt suggested. "Salem hauntings aside, I think the nightmares were from the Dread or Grimm's Bane. They affected us as well. People acclimated to living in and around it aren't feeling its effects, they're just fearing the Grimm."</p><p>"What's making them sick then?" Lykos inquired.</p><p>"Samson?" Cobalt offered. They all looked at Tawney who shrugged.</p><p>"Best plan we've got, but Cobalt is right," Tawney agreed for once. "We need to finish this quickly."</p><p>"How do we know it's not someone else?" Lykos questioned.</p><p>"They would have had to come out at least for food, right? And if Samson really was investigating, he would have noticed someone," Cobalt suggested.</p><p>"But he didn't notice your new friend either," Bái pointed out. Cobalt couldn't argue with the fact.</p><p>"Okay, maybe it's not him, but I say we go check out the jail anyway," Cobalt asserted.</p><p>"Yes!" Tawney declared. "Breaking the law!"</p><p>"Not if we have probable causes…?" Cobalt shrugged.</p><p>"I'm pretty sure it'll still be breaking the law," Lykos suggested.</p><p>"Let's go then," Cobalt led them out. They reached the bottom of the stairs and moved to the bar to order breakfast, but were unable to find the bartender.</p><p>"Where's he at? Getting awfully late!" Tawney shouted as if he was somewhere else in the building and simply hadn't heard her.</p><p>"We could probably come back to eat afterward," Bái offered.</p><p>"Let's do that," Lykos agreed. Nora met them downstairs, leading them over to the jailhouse and leaving them outside as she grabbed Samson. He tipped his hat as they walked past towards them, a gleam in his eye as they moved towards the church.</p><p>"Did you guys see that?" Tawney asked.</p><p>"See what?" Bái replied.</p><p>"Did he look younger?" Cobalt answered.</p><p>"What?" Lykos questioned.</p><p>"He appeared younger than when we first met him," Cobalt repeated.</p><p>"That can't be, can it?" Bái inquired in disbelief.</p><p>"We need to move quickly, there might not even be anything under the church," Cobalt insisted. They filed in quickly, Lykos closing the door behind them and letting Bái create a barrier of ice in front of it.</p><p>"Where are we thinking?" Tawney pondered.</p><p>"I… don't know," Cobalt responded as he took a look around. It was pretty standard for something out of a western. A small desk. A key hook. Three cells. They looked around for anything that might be helpful, Tawney snickered as she picked the lock on Samson's desk and pulled the drawer open.</p><p>"Well, well, well," Tawney spoke with a grin on her face.</p><p>"Look at that," Cobalt admired as he pulled a vial of Dread out of the desk and looked it over. "It might not be proof of production, but it's proof of possession."</p><p>"Sounds like you're just stating the obvious," Bái sighed.</p><p>"Found something!" Lykos shouted as he pulled open a trapdoor that led below one of the cells.</p><p>"And Lykos rolled a twenty for perception!" Cobalt cheered. He shook Lykos by the shoulders and leapt down, the rest of them following after as Cobalt stood at the bottom, his mouth agape in horror. "What is that!?"</p><p>"What?" Tawney demanded.</p><p>"That!" Cobalt shouted again. He pointed at something on the floor and Lykos moved to it, picking it up.</p><p>"A crowbar?" Lykos asked.</p><p>"Is that the same crowbar that Jason Todd was beaten to death with?!" Cobalt screeched.</p><p>"What?" Bái inquired.</p><p>"Just ignore him and come on," Tawney groaned moving into the next room. "This… uh… there's a lot of Dread in here."</p><p>"I'm serious, crowbars can be dangerous!" Cobalt shouted as he joined her. "Jason Todd was… oh wow, this is a lot of Dread." Cobalt looked out at the crates upon crates of the drug. "And to think, this is only one of the production locations, and this one seems pretty manual and low tech."</p><p>"How do you think Nora is doing?" Bái asked.</p><p>"Knowing Nora, he's probably already out for the count, there's no way that she didn't notice his change in vitality," Lykos chuckled.</p><p>"Unless…" Cobalt began.</p><p>"No…" Tawney attempted to cut him off.</p><p>"She's in on it too!" He exclaimed. They all sighed.</p><p>"No…" Bái repeated.</p><p>"Maybe this is all just a clever teaching exercise!" Cobalt offered.</p><p>"No…" Lykos added for a third time as they headed back out and left him there.</p><p>"You don't know!" Cobalt chased after them.</p><p>"Too elaborate," Tawney called back.</p><p>"You underestimate Coco," Cobalt noted climbing up.</p><p>"You overestimate the school!" Lykos shouted.</p><p>"Cobalt!" Came a yell as the door was thrown open and Ari stood in it, staring at the three of them. "Wait, who are you?"</p><p>"Is this the girl you met?" Tawney asked looking back at him as he popped out of the hole.</p><p>"Ari!" Cobalt exclaimed as she ran to him and gave him a hug. He smiled up at Tawney who looked annoyed. "What's up?"</p><p>"Everyone's dead!" She screamed, clinging tighter. He looked at his teammates who softened.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Lykos asked.</p><p>"All the people that live here!" She elaborated. They glanced at each other and headed out, Cobalt ran his hands through his hair.</p><p>"Check on the people, I'm going to tell Nora," Cobalt informed them.</p><p>"Right!" They replied in unison and took off. Before Cobalt reached the church doors they were thrown open and Samson had Nora lassoed and thrown over his shoulder.</p><p>"Hey, John Wayne, put my teacher down and we can talk this out like men," Cobalt informed him, Ari holding tightly to him. Samson largely ignored him.</p><p>"Who's this?" Samson asked, moving closer.</p><p>"Hey, I said put her down, Eastwood!" Cobalt shouted as he lifted his sword.</p><p>"So you kids figured it out too, huh?" Samson asked. He stopped and tossed Nora onto the ground, chuckling as he tilted his hat and stood at the ready. "You know I don't miss, right?" Cobalt shrugged.</p><p>"But that's not your semblance," Cobalt noted. "Sucking the life out of people without Aura is."</p><p>"Actually, consuming their fear gives me life, but alas, takes some of theirs as well," Samson explained.</p><p>"How'd you knock Nora out?" Cobalt inquired.</p><p>"Some Grimm's Bane and an offering plate," Samson explained. Cobalt blinked. "It was a heavy offering plate."</p><p>"You killed everyone?!" Ari shouted.</p><p>"In a matter of speaking, I guess I did," Samson chuckled. She released Cobalt and charged the man.</p><p>"Ari!" He called after her. She slammed her fist into his chest as she reached him, which drew no reaction as he gripped her wrist and lifted her off of her feet.</p><p>"Careful, you might hurt yourself," Samson informed her.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Cobalt!" She yelled frantically. "I just wanted to help!"</p><p>"You did fine!" Cobalt replied with a smirk.</p><p>"How about you lower that sword before you get hurt," Samson requested.</p><p>"I say we see which one of us is faster," Cobalt offered.</p><p>"Oh?" Samson asked, amused. He gripped Ari harder as she thrashed. "I'll take that offer. I'm just upset to see that your teammates aren't around to watch you die." Cobalt smirked as he lowered his sword to his side.</p><p>"Three count?" Cobalt questioned.</p><p>"Go ahead," Samson humored him.</p><p>"Three… two… one…" Before Cobalt finished the shot rang out and nailed Cobalt in the forehead, dropping him to the ground as a laser shot from behind removed Samson's hand and he dropped Ari.</p><p>"Bastard!" Samson shouted as the clone dissipated.</p><p>"Not as keen on playing fair as much as I am living," Cobalt explained. Samson turned to fire at Ari and she leapt back, screaming, her eyes lighting up as he was thrown back, grunting in pain and out of breath. Cobalt looked at the two of them. "What?" Ari beat on him as Cobalt raced over and wrenched the gun away.</p><p>"Don't let him hurt me!" She pleaded.</p><p>"I won't, but what did you do?" Cobalt asked.</p><p>"What do you mean?" She asked.</p><p>"It almost looked like the impact of that first hit was delayed…" Cobalt mumbled. Ari looked at him, reading his eyes before looking at Samson and concentrating. He prepared to stand before crying out in sudden pain as his body twitched and convulsed where she'd made contact. Her eyes lit up as she looked back at Cobalt.</p><p>"I have a semblance!" She exclaimed.</p><p>"Yes! Yes, you do!" He cheered, throwing his arms around her. He looked up at his teammates who had returned, looking past them at Nora and Samson.</p><p>"Really? Already?" Tawney asked.</p><p>"Well?" Cobalt followed up as he picked up Nora and threw her over his shoulder. "Someone might want to restrain him."</p><p>"They're all dead," Bái answered after a long moment. They looked at Ari who seemed sad.</p><p>"You gonna be okay?" Lykos asked.</p><p>"They took me in after I left the Fang, but I wasn't too close with any of them," Ari sighed as she sat on the ground with her legs crossed. "I'll miss them."</p><p>"Why don't you come back to Beacon with us?" Cobalt suggested. She leapt to her feet.</p><p>"Really?!" She exclaimed.</p><p>"Cobalt," Tawney scolded.</p><p>"Relax, I'll talk to Goodwitch," Cobalt told her. "She wants to become a Huntress, right?"</p><p>"Yes!" She declared as she hugged him from the side. "Thanks, Cobalt!"</p><p>"You can just call me Onii-chan," Cobalt informed her.</p><p>"Do NOT call him that," Tawney snarled.</p><p>"Calm down," Cobalt chuckled.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Turns out Ari had a semblance after all. Next week, Chapter 26: Latherus!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Latehrus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nat insists that Eliana's father has something to do with her mission, but in what way?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the later than usual upload, worked over the weekend and had a busy day yesterday. Hope you all enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Lock the door behind you," Natalia instructed Titus as he entered the classroom and shut the door, glancing across the room at her with a smirk.</p><p>"Someone seems like they're in a rush to get started," he chuckled making his way to her. She blushed.</p><p>"Just remember, we're only in here so I can tell you about my mission," she insisted. He sat close to her on the desk, caressing her chin.</p><p>"And if we have some extra time afterward?" He questioned.</p><p>"Boy, I really got you worked up from yesterday, don't I?" She asked. She playfully shoved him. "Later big guy, I made you wait an extra day for this info, so why don't we get started?"</p><p>"Sure," he sighed with a laugh. She removed a small disc and a device to play it on out of her backpack, plugging it into her scroll as she slid off the desk and gestured for him to do the same.</p><p>"You familiar with Alexander Latherus?" Natalia inquired.</p><p>"Eliana's dad?" He fired back. She nodded.</p><p>"That's the one," Natalia replied.</p><p>"What about him?" Titus requested.</p><p>"You're familiar with how these holo-discs work right? Death files?" Natalia wondered as she took another step back. He joined her.</p><p>"They're made using DNA, first-hand accounts, and left behind tech from the agent to reconstruct their last few days alive with nearly one hundred percent accuracy," Titus explained as if she didn't already know.</p><p>"This one is for Eliana's father," she replied.</p><p>"Still not sure how that pertains to your mission…" he grumbled.</p><p>"You'll see after you've watched," she explained as she played it.</p><hr/><p>"So I fired three shots into the air!" Alexander exclaimed sitting next to Eliana who lay on her bed, looking up at him with big mystified eyes. "One to startle him, one to make sure with absolute certainty that my partner would find me, and another to confuse the criminal."</p><p>"And then Officer Marco found you, right?" Eliana asked excitedly, sitting up. He put a finger to her lips and pushed her with it back down to her pillow.</p><p>"Yep," Alex nodded. "He used his semblance to fill the street with fog, blinding me and The Minotaur with it but unlike The Minotaur, I can still fight using my semblance to figure out where he is. I managed to get in close, tasing him in the neck with the batons on my gun, blocking a haymaker that he blindly threw at me. Marco managed to cuff his other hand, but that only made him angrier and he swung around blindly at both of us with his two-handed ax. I put several rounds of wind Dust into his chest to force him to take a few steps back from me, and to wear down his aura and Marco did the same."</p><p>"And then you did the thing, right?!" Eliana shouted. Alex laughed and tickled her.</p><p>"Maybe I should let you tell the story next time!" Alex exclaimed as Violet cleared her throat at the door. Alex and Eliana looked over at her and Eliana giggled as Alex kissed her forehead. She propped herself on her shoulder as he made his way to the door.</p><p>"Dad, how did Officer Marco's name follow the color rule again?" Eliana asked.</p><p>"His last name was Blanco, which means white," Alex explained.</p><p>"Bedtime," Violet insisted.</p><p>"But dad didn't finish the story!" Eliana cried out.</p><p>"You already said it," Alex insisted with a wink. "Then I did the thing!" Eliana rolled her eyes and laid back down with a smile.</p><p>"Love you, dad!" She called out, snuggling in.</p><p>"Love you too, Elli," he replied heading out of the room.</p><p>"Love you, Eliana," Violet said softly with a smile.</p><p>"You too, mom!" Eliana answered as the door closed. Alex smirked and chuckled as he emerged from behind Violet and followed after her to the bedroom.</p><p>"So you remembered today's Friday?" She asked. He closed and locked the door behind him.</p><p>"I've been thinking about this all day," he informed her as he unbuttoned his uniform. She moved to him, removing his hands.</p><p>"Let me help you with that, officer," she growled, slowly continuing as he kissed her lips.</p><p>"I have to warn you, ma'am, I have a fully loaded weapon on my person," Alex mentioned.</p><p>
  <em>*Alex, you there?*</em>
</p><p>Alex turned back towards the radio on his dresser before Violet pulled him back in.</p><p>"Friday nights are my night," she told him.</p><p>
  <em>*I know you told me to let you know first. Another kidnapping. Sounds pretty similar to the last few.*</em>
</p><p>"Violet," Alex pleaded painfully.</p><p>"Fine," she sighed. "But you better hurry back." He winked at her and gave her a deep kiss on the lips.</p><p>"Of course," he chuckled. "We still have to do the thing." She laughed and shoved him.</p><p>"Be safe!" She reminded him.</p><p>"I will!" He called back as he closed the door and finally replied to dispatch.</p><p>
  <em>*Yes. Thank you, I'll go check it out. Can you send that address to my scroll and any other necessary information?*</em>
</p><p>Another kidnapping? It was the fourth in as many weeks and after the second occurrence blowing over with little to no attention from the department, the council suddenly injected themselves into the equation but instructed Alex to keep it under wraps. All of the kidnappings were children. All of the children were about Eliana's age. He sped down the dirt main road that led from their home towards Haven and had his scroll dial his partner on speaker.</p><p>"Alex?" The voice answered.</p><p>"Hey! Iris! You up?!" Alex asked, shifting into the next gear.</p><p>"I am now. Didn't hear the dispatch radio go off, so this is a social call, can it wait?" He questioned groggily.</p><p>"Not a social call, can't wait," Alex abruptly responded.</p><p>"Okay… can you give me like five minutes?" Iris inquired.</p><p>"Make it three," Alex instructed.</p><p>"Sure," Iris sighed. Alex hung up, plugging his scroll into the dashboard of his patrol car.</p><p>"Read the details of tonight's incident to me," he told the device.</p><p>
  <em>*At approximately 8:30 PM a female child was taken from her home after her parents had put her in bed for the night. The suspect failed to apprehend the child prior to her letting out a single scream and the father of the child witnessed the suspect leaving through the bedroom window from the back. The suspect is believed to have several large objects that appeared to be branches protruding from its back*</em>
</p><p>"Why…" Alex asked himself. After a few minutes, he skidded to a stop in front of Iris's place, laying on the horn.</p><p>"I'm coming!" Iris shouted as he slammed his door behind him and jogged out to the car. "And they say that I'm always in a rush, I didn't even hear anything on the scanner, so where the hell are we actually heading anyway? I know I'm new, but didn't you kind of miss your window for hazing me after the first week? You know what, it's fine. Haze me. I can take it. You're the best, and I've been waiting to be your partner basically since we graduated Academy. Worth it. Seriously. Go ahead. Should I blindfold or cuff myself? Or both? Kinky…"</p><p>"I'm married," Alex reminded him. Iris shook his head and waved him off.</p><p>"A guy can dream," Iris pointed out. "Seriously though, where are we going?"</p><p>"Looking into a kidnapping that happened about fifteen minutes ago," Alex informed him.</p><p>"What?" Iris questioned in confusion.</p><p>"I have a deal with the dispatcher by order of the council," Alex began.</p><p>"A council assignment!?" Iris freaked out. "I don't know if I should be honored or really worried! You always end up losing partners for various reasons after these escapades! Does Captain Meadows know? Are we even going to tell the captain? If we don't, will she just find out anyway? Should I start saying my goodbyes now? Our time together was really short, you know. It'll be sad to go, but anything I can do to help keep Remnant safe."</p><p>"Do you ever stop talking?" Alex asked him.</p><p>"Not usually," Iris chuckled. "Nervous tick. Maybe genetic? Something my sister does too. I'm sure you probably noticed that back at the academy."</p><p>"Now that you mention it," Alex said, slowing as they neared the city. "How is she doing anyway?"</p><p>"Also got a position in the department," Iris explained. "Haven't heard from her in a few weeks though. Maybe she's undercover? Maybe she's dead? Not being cynical, I'm just covering all of our options." Alex removed his scroll from the dash and sent a few items to one of his contacts. A message came through as he handed it to Iris who tried to refuse taking it.</p><p>"Here!" Alex demanded. "I need you to answer it when Winter calls!"</p><p>"I think you're forgetting my semblance," Iris suggested.</p><p>"Just take it!" Alex shouted, forcing him to take the scroll. Iris dropped it nearly instantly and his face became a deep shade of red. Alex glanced at him. "What?"</p><p>"Your wife just sent you some pictures," Iris stated, refusing to make eye contact. "She… she uh… she's very attractive..." Alex's mind clicked and he looked back at the road once again.</p><p>"Don't speak of this ever again," Alex informed him.</p><p>"Yep. Already forgotten. Gone. Never happened," Iris nervously replied, picking the scroll up again and nearly dropping it again as it went off. "Winter's calling."</p><p>"Put her on speaker," Alex said, plugging a different device into his dashboard. He opened the console and removed a spare pistol, loading it as the car drove itself towards the city gates. He showed it to Iris as he answered.</p><p>"This is Alex's partner," Iris spoke.</p><p>"Alex there with you?" Winter asked.</p><p>"Did you get the files?" Alex inquired.</p><p>"Why do you always drag your partners into this?" Winter replied.</p><p>"Doesn't answer my question," Alex insisted, preparing himself as they entered the city and the patrol car parked in the nearest parking lot.</p><p>"You first," Winter responded coyly.</p><p>"This one's going to come in handy," Alex chuckled. Winter groaned.</p><p>"You said that about the last three," Winter noted. "And yes, I got the files."</p><p>"Thinking what I'm thinking?" Alex questioned.</p><p>"I think I'm out of the loop," Iris interjected.</p><p>"Wasn't asking you," Alex sighed.</p><p>"Quill?" Winter suggested.</p><p>"Bingo," Alex replied.</p><p>"Wait, you mean Rio 'Quill' Rivera?" Iris assumed. "C-Tier on the most wanted list?"</p><p>"That's the one," Alex nodded.</p><p>"You think he's involved?" Iris pondered.</p><p>"Did you let him listen to the dispatcher's notes?" Winter pried.</p><p>"Didn't have time yet," Alex answered. "Suspect had 'branches' protruding from his back. I'm guessing they were his quills since he's a porcupine faunus after all."</p><p>"Makes sense, but what about a motive? He's been known for small crimes like theft and shoplifting," Iris reminded them.</p><p>"Someone must have offered him some money," Alex noted.</p><p>"I have a contact in the area tonight," Winter informed them. "You lucked out there. Meet her on the lower level at The Ring."</p><p>"Thanks, Winter," Alex said as he opened the car door. Iris stepped out as well.</p><p>"Find out whatever you can," Winter instructed. "Hopefully we can find these kids."</p><p>"We will," Alex replied, taking the scroll from Iris and hanging up. He tossed the pistol to Iris who fumbled it a bit before gripping it tightly. "I know you have limited field experience so follow me. Don't speak. Hide the gun. And whatever you do, don't tell anyone that we're police. The people that need to know, know."</p><p>"You really expect me not to speak?" Iris laughed. Alex stared at him without a smile, simply staring through him. "Wait… Alex? Are you serious?"</p><p>"Yes," Alex answered flatly as he headed to a nearby ladder and slid down it to drop a few levels. "You know, when this city was first built, people used to have to give ID proof of which level they lived on. Crazy to think how far we've come."</p><p>"Yeah, but the social structure still sucks around here," Iris called out before climbing down the ladder after Alex. "People up top aren't cared for much at the bottom, and the people at the top don't like those at the bottom."</p><p>"That's why I live in the country," Alex told him as he moved to a large iron door on the platform they stood on. It swung open slowly and Alex shone a flashlight into the long corridor that wound down further towards the bottom levels. "I just wish we'd all get along."</p><p>"You've put away a ton of the criminals on the city's most wanted list, that's got to help some," Iris joked. Alex chuckled.</p><p>"I sure hope so," Alex stated. "The less dangerous I can make Haven for the people that live here, the better."</p><p>"So, what happens once you finish ticking that list off?" Iris inquired. Alex nearly stumbled over an uneven part of the incline but caught himself with a forcefield.</p><p>"I'm not much of one for politics, so I'll never make the real difference that's needed here," he explained. "But once I clean this place up I think we might head over to Vale. Vi's got family over there and I really want Eliana to attend Beacon once they get it rebuilt. Such a magnificent school. Hell, I would have attended Beacon if my family hadn't been so poor." Alex laughed thinking about it. "But why dwell on the past?"</p><p>"Now I remember why I crushed on you so hard back at the Academy," Iris mumbled.</p><p>"What was that?" Alex asked.</p><p>"Nothing!" Iris exclaimed as they reached the second door and Alex slowly opened it. Iris had been on the lower level during the day before, but it seemed now that the nighttime was when it came alive. Music invaded his senses from every direction, the bass seeming to echo and reverberate through the walls, the road, and into his body, the only thing keeping it from reaching the upper levels was the fact that it originated within the caves and tunnels that made up the poorest of the living conditions. A man standing on the nearest corner nodded at Iris, and though he was sure the man was a freelancer, he wasn't sure whether his eye patch was meant for fashion or function. The street was packed shoulder to shoulder, the occasional performer causing a rift in the crowd and drawing a roar of applause. Alex pushed forward without looking back to make sure Iris was still there.</p><p>"Hey there, daddy," a prostitute grabbed Iris by the arm and rubbed against him. "Here from the surface? I can show you around if you'd like."</p><p>"He's not interested," Alex replied for him.</p><p>"Just as stiff as ever, Alex," she groaned as she sulked off.</p><p>"You know her?" Asked Iris.</p><p>"No," Alex stated. "Not personally anyways." Alex shoved his way through to the opposite wall, knocking hard on it. A slot opened at about eye level.</p><p>"Who's that?" They asked.</p><p>"He's with me," Alex replied as the door slowly slid open, the sound of metal grinding on metal filling only the ears of Faunus nearby as the music and commotion were far too loud for anyone else to hear it. They slipped in without being seen by any prying eyes, the entryway sealing behind them, seemingly on its own. "Been a while."</p><p>"Winter said you're looking for Quill," Ilia Amitola stated as she made herself visible.</p><p>"That's incredible!" Iris exclaimed. She waved him off.</p><p>"It's nothing," she admitted.</p><p>"Quill?" Alex pressed.</p><p>"Right," Ilia replied. "At the bar across the street. I didn't see him come or go but Jackson claims he was there the whole time."</p><p>"So he paid Jackson off?" Alex suggested.</p><p>"Or he's not our guy," Iris offered. Ilia shrugged.</p><p>"I've got a hunch he is," Alex replied as he turned back to the door and peered through the slot.</p><p>"Just try not to make a mess," Ilia instructed.</p><p>"I'm here of my own volition," Alex remarked with a smirk.</p><p>"I repeat what I just said," Ilia groaned.</p><p>"We have a plan?" Iris asked. Alex stared for a long couple of moments.</p><p>"Was he a desk jockey before?" Ilia chuckled.</p><p>"Yeah, but he was just desperate to do fieldwork with me for some reason," Alex stated, closing the slot again before pulling open the door.</p><p>"You are the best short of the actual council," Ilia remarked. Alex brushed her off and stepped out of the room. He motioned for Iris with his head.</p><p>"Come on," Alex requested. Iris followed close behind and with a glance back Iris once again saw nothing more than a metal-plated wall, wondering just how many secrets this lower level held. Alex entered the open bar of sorts across the way and stepped up to the counter where Jackson met his eyes. The man's face was covered in Dust tattoos and he wore no shirt, instead letting his body do the job of intimidating anyone who didn't belong inside of his establishment. It was dark and plumes of smoke rolled out, a commotion could be heard from inside, which Iris at first assumed to be a fistfight but would learn was a harmless bout of arm wrestling.</p><p>"This had better be good," Jackson barked as he slammed a glass stein down on the counter and stared at Alex with a glass eye.</p><p>"What happened to your eye?" Alex questioned.</p><p>"Ever the blunt one," Jackson noted. "A fight in the pit. Anything else I can do for you? I already answered your friend's questions earlier."</p><p>"Quill…" Alex began.</p><p>"Already told her…" Jackson bit back.</p><p>"I'd hate for the PD to catch wind of the fact that you're still operating without a liquor license," Alex stated as he sat.</p><p>"I'd hate for them to find out you were down here on official business, but we both know better than all of this small talk," Jackson barked, turning back towards the sink. "Either order or get out."</p><p>"How does five hundred lien sound?" Alex questioned, stopping the bartender in his tracks.</p><p>"Sounds like you're desperate for something," Jackson replied as he turned back to Alex and Iris, finding the man wasn't bluffing. Jackson picked it up and examined it before placing it in his pocket. "Quill only got here a few minutes before your friend came over to ask about him. He's still here. You can go and talk to him, but that's the best I can do. You start anything in here and I'll throw all three of ya's out in the street. Five hundred's a lot, but it doesn't cover the kind of damages that come with seeing your ugly ass mug down here." Alex stood back up.</p><p>"In the backroom then?" Alex inquired.</p><p>"Bring him this," Jackson stated, handing him a beer. "You might get him talking, he's already had a few." Alex nodded and handed it to Iris, keeping him in front of him as they moved back.</p><p>"Excuse me!" Iris protested.</p><p>"You're less recognizable," Alex informed him. "In fact, you aren't recognizable at all. I don't need you to get in a fight with him or anything. Give him the beer, get his scroll. Easy as that."</p><p>"You have a backup plan for when that fails?!" Iris panicked as they pushed through the door into the room. A dart flew past Iris's ears and he flinched as a few of the patrons shouted at him.</p><p>"Keep moving, would ya?!" The man who had thrown in demanded. Alex forced the Faunus ahead, sitting at a nearby table as Iris sat with their target. The man was easy to pick out. True to his name, he had large porcupine quills that jutted out of his back, destroying the back of his white wife-beater that looked bloodied, but the blood appeared to be old. His hair was done in neat cornrows, his orange eyes ablaze as he laughed at a joke someone in his entourage had told him. He watched Iris sit and leaned forward, his brass knuckles the first thing to catch the rabbit's eyes as he shakily held out the beer.</p><p>"The hell are you?" Quill asked. Iris chuckled nervously, noting Quill's scroll in the middle of the table, ripe for the taking.</p><p>"They told me that you made a pretty decent score tonight," Iris managed to spit out. "Wanted to congratulate you and find out how I can get into something that lucrative." Quill stared at him without moving for a long moment before snatching the beer out of his hand and slamming it onto the table in front of him, causing Iris to jump. The other men laughed and Quill shook his head.</p><p>"You're too tense to be a crooked cop," he finally spoke. "So you must just be a stupid one."</p><p>"To be honest, it's my first time down here. Not as bad as we think it would be up top. Lovely actually. Lively. Not sure what everyone up there is so afraid of. Seems like quite the nightlife. Surprised we don't hear the music up top. I mean, not really, not after actually thinking about it. Initially though…" Iris was cut off by Quill slamming his fist on the table, making Iris jump again. Another round of laughter and Iris chuckled and nodded. "Funny. Twice in a row."</p><p>"Get out of here if you know what's good for you," Quill instructed him.</p><p>"Let's try this again," Alex said, walking up behind him. Quill grinned and looked back up over his shoulder.</p><p>"Latherus," Quill shook his head. "Come to check off another box on your list?"</p><p>"Not exactly," Alex stated. "You know the unspoken rules here just as well as I do."</p><p>"Then why are you here?" Quill questioned as Alex pulled up a chair.</p><p>"Well, you see, Quill," Alex put emphasis on saying his name for some reason. "I heard a rumor about you and I was really hoping that it wasn't true." Quill looked at his men and shook his head.</p><p>"All you damn cops can't be bothered with respecting us enough to learn our names," Quill noted. "It's bullshit."</p><p>"Where were you earlier tonight, Quill?" Alex asked.</p><p>"Fuck off and let me drink, man," Quill shouted. Without warning the can was sliced in half, spilling beer everywhere as the men slid back and turned their attention to Alex, allowing Iris to snatch the scroll. Alex threw his hands up. "The hell!?"</p><p>"Boys… we don't want to shoot up Jackson's, do we?" Alex questioned.</p><p>"Get out of my sight before I decide that we do," Quill stated.</p><p>"I tell you what," Alex offered. "Let's settle this properly, right?" Alex looked past Quill at Iris who was cutting his fingers across his throat to tell him they were good to go. "One-on-one match in the pit, Rio." A smirk crept onto Quill's face as he laughed and told the other men to lower their guns.</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah!" Quill agreed. He reached back onto the table and picked up his scroll which Iris had put back, pocketing it. "That's the way."</p><p>"Alex?" Iris stood quickly trying to stop him but instead was handed Alex's uniform button up.</p><p>"This won't take long," Alex assured him as Quill slapped him on the back and they all headed out as one mass into the crowd of the night. Iris groaned as he chased after them.</p><p>"Couldn't we have come up with signals or something beforehand?" Iris mumbled, almost losing them as they entered the street. It was easy after looking for a moment to tell where the pit was. The number of people almost seemed to double as they now forcibly made their way to the fighting ring, Iris doing his best to get through to see the action, that his efforts were proving fruitless.</p><p>"No semblance," Quill uttered as they slipped into the ring.</p><p>"Sure," Alex agreed as he shed his coat and tossed it to one of the men nearby. One of the fighters in the ring was about to protest the interruption before recognizing Alex.</p><p>"Didn't think I'd ever see you in the Pit again!" He shouted at Alex. Alex smirked slightly and gave the man a nod.</p><p>"Mind if I teach this kid a lesson?" Alex requested. The fighter smiled wildly and clambered under the ropes.</p><p>"You always did put on a spectacle!" The man roared in laughter. Alex held a finger to his lips and winked at the fighter.</p><p>"Enough chatter," Quill complained. Alex turned back to his target, the man smirking as he was already prepared to break the rules and run several of his quills through Alex from his hand as soon as he struck. No one ever saw it coming. Alex stretched slightly, bouncing on his feet as he waited for the signal to move. There was a long pause. The bell rang. In a flash, it was over.</p><p>Before anyone could blink Alex had already dropped Quill, weapons focusing on the cop as the crowd shuffled and Quill's friends forced themselves to the front.</p><p>"No Semblance!" One shouted.</p><p>"You dense?!" Another questioned.</p><p>"Why would I waste my energy using my semblance?" Alex asked as he checked Quill's pulse. He nodded with a smirk. "He's got a pretty good cut on the side of his arm where he must have gotten hurt earlier tonight. It hasn't completely healed yet. That paired with the fact that he'd had a few to drink before we showed up to appear like he'd been drinking for a while was overclocking his aura. He couldn't have cheated if he wanted to, but he also couldn't rely on his aura for anything. Not to mention, he always opens with that move."</p><p>"That's Alex!" The fighter roared in laughter.</p><p>"A round for everyone here on Quill!" Alex shouted as he leapt down out of the ring. The sudden announcement was enough to send the crowd into a frenzy, heading in the opposite direction and sweeping Quill's men away with them. Iris somehow managed to make his way upstream, Alex didn't stop to wait for him.</p><p>"You know all that from a quick once over?" Iris asked, amazed.</p><p>"The more observant you are, the less effort you need to put into battle, which is important in my case," Alex explained. "It's really a good practice for any huntsman or huntress." He looked back at his handiwork, a flood of people doing their damndest to pour into the small pub as the two of them watched on.</p><p>"The location is nearby," Iris informed Alex without being asked. "If he really is our man, the kid should be a few blocks down on the left. The phone didn't register an actual address, so I assume it's another one of those hidden door type things like where we met Ilia." Alex thought this over for a moment before briskly heading to where Iris told him. "What's the pla-"</p><p>"Same as before," Alex remarked. "Don't speak."</p><p>"Can I interject something?" Iris questioned.</p><p>"Before we get there? Sure," Alex answered.</p><p>"I hate this plan," Iris grumbled.</p><p>"Your words wound me," Alex replied as he cut hard through the crowd and walked directly to the spot Iris had mentioned. Without explanation Alex kicked the bottom of the brick wall hard, causing the hidden door to grind back against the concrete floor inside.</p><p>"These places aren't very hidden if everybody knows how to get into them," Iris noted.</p><p>"Most people don't," Alex pointed out. "You forget that I used to live down here." He removed his gun and flashlight, letting the door screech in pain as it closed behind them and plunged them into darkness. "You can see, right?"</p><p>"Kind of," Iris noted. "I'm not a cat Faunus, I'm better at hearing really."</p><p>"Then listen for movement," Alex instructed as he made his way further in. The first room had been empty, hardly a room at all and more of a cellar-like structure with a few support beams and empty crates. Around a corner that led them into a long corridor, light spilled out of a side room. They stopped, Iris nodding as he drew his weapon and followed Alex's lead. There was no door to peer into the room through but a large gaping hole which appeared as though it had only just now been formed. A man with an athletic build stood with his back to them, appearing almost out of breath as he looked the room over. It was filled with computers, beakers, test tubes, and other scientific instruments. There were at least a dozen scientists, all of them dead on the floor in a lake of their own blood.</p><p>"And here I thought He was more careful than this," the man's voice rang out through the silence as if muffled. "How can I help you?" Alex wondered how the man had heard them, at first pegging him for a Faunus before noting that Iris had left his flashlight on when they stepped closer to the lab.</p><p>"Who are you?" Alex demanded. "Hands where I can see them!" The man let out a single chuckle, raising his hands and turning to face them, revealing the plague doctor mask that covered his face. The nose stuck out much further than was typically intended and the eye holes were different sizes.</p><p>"I might not know much yet about Mistral," the man stated slowly. "But I do know that you're Alexander Latherus, and that use of <strong>any</strong> force on the bottom level is frowned upon. A social taboo, as it were. Perhaps you should lower the gun." Alex lowered it slightly, never taking his eyes off of the target. Iris eyed him up and shifted uncomfortably.</p><p>"You don't actually think we can trust him, do you?" Iris stammered.</p><p>"What reason have I given you not to?" The man said with an apparent smile despite his face being concealed. Iris lowered his gun.</p><p>"You didn't answer my question," Alex pressed.</p><p>"Abigor," he responded without wavering. "I'm quite knowledgeable in the underclass around here and figured that the best way to climb to the top is from here. Why, I might even be the next Chameleon or Quake. You know a thing or two about them, don't you?" Iris fidgetted, hand moving back to his gun.</p><p>"We really can't do anything?!" Iris shouted. Alex smirked.</p><p>"Admitting to something like that isn't exactly something we can do anything about," Alex told him. "These dead Lab Coats, however…"</p><p>"Dead when I got here I'm afraid," Abigor noted as he looked back at them. "A damn shame really. I wanted to ask them if they were making any progress."</p><p>"You know what's going on here?" Alex pried taking a step in and past Abigor to look at the contents of some of the glass containers.</p><p>"I do, in fact," Abigor explained as he sidestepped and ushered Iris into the room as well. "And the more I think about it, the more we might be able to help each other out."</p><p>"Is that so?" Alex questioned staring up at him. He didn't know if he should trust this man or not if he was being honest with himself, but he'd hear him out.</p><p>"You want to know who is behind this, and I need them out of the picture," Abigor stated.</p><p>"Go on," Iris prodded. Had he forgotten what Alex told him?!</p><p>"Tomorrow. Kuvira Casino on the Upper Level. The man you're looking for will be there late in the evening to meet with another benefactor who is looking to dip their toes into the project," Abigor informed them. "His name is Strakh Temnota."</p><p>"Strakh Temnota?" Iris repeated. Alex cleared his throat in indication for the rabbit to shut up, but he kept going. "The upstart from Vacuo trying to start a Dust business he claims 'That can rival the SDC'?" Abigor chuckled.</p><p>"Good, then you know who to look for," Abigor said as he left down the corridor.</p><p>"Hey!" Iris shouted, quickly moving to the door.</p><p>"Don't follow me," Abigor instructed. Alex grabbed Iris's shoulder.</p><p>"Let him go," Alex ordered. Iris wrenched free.</p><p>"You think he was telling the truth?" Iris inquired.</p><p>"Only one way to find out," Alex pointed out. He looked at the mess behind them once more. "Let's get as much info as we can from this place before we leave."</p><p>"Right," Iris agreed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>But how does this relate to Nat's mission? Next week, Chapter 27: Casino!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Casino</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What information will Alex get from Strakh that might help him with his case?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>        “</span>
  <span>Alex</span>
  <span>,” the police Captain sighed as she closed the door to her office and massaged her temples. She took her seat behind her desk across from him and reviewed the contents on her computer. “I… I don’t know where to start, but do you honestly think that a fight in the pit was one of the more low profile things that you could do on a night off?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Is it online?” Alex asked. She nodded without breaking eye contact. “So then you know it really wasn’t much of a fight then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Alex,” she scolded. Alex slumped in his chair, folding his arms. “Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “It works for my daughter,” he noted. He exhaled and shook his head. “You know when the council calls I have to answer. We’ve been going after these kidnappers for a long time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “And this is how you got your answers?” She questioned facing the monitor towards him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “That was for my pride,” he squeaked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’ve never known you to be so reckless,” she stated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Apparently you’re not aware of half the times I’ve fought down there since becoming a cop,” he pointed out before looking at her and realizing that wasn’t the right thing to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “If you weren’t our best cop I would have fired you by now, you know that?” She grumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “It won’t happen again!” He declared leaping to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Sit,” she demanded. He complied. “It’s not only the unwritten rules you’ve been breaking, you know. What was the call from dispatch last night for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Possible kidnapping,” he plainly remarked, understanding she was done playing games.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Then where’s the record of the call?” She interrogated. He averted his gaze from hers. “You know that’s protocol.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I also know I was off the clock,” he added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You can’t keep compiling violations to cover your ass,” she stated standing slowly to loom over him. “You’re a great cop, and an even better man, but the city’s council members’ patience is running thin.” He waved her off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “So what?” He questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “They’re the ones making sure we’re being paid,” she reminded him. “This is your last warning, I’ll cover for you this time.” She looked out into the department beyond her office windows. “I would never tell you that I want you to leave, no one has done more for Mistral than you have… but maybe it’s time to choose one or the other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What do you mean?” He priced. She looked at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Serving the council, or being a police officer,” she stated. “I’d hate to see you go, but I’d understand.” The words weighed heavily on him. Give up being a cop? It was all that he had ever wanted to be since he was a child, but it was becoming more glaringly obvious that he wouldn’t be able to do both, for one reason or another. “Not to put you on the spot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Or course not,” he agreed as he shifted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You’re free to leave. Like I said, I’ll handle the Headmaster and his cronies,” she replied laughing. “And think over what I said. Take the day off if you need it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “About that…” he began as he stood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Alexander…” she tried interrupting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Actually need you to extend my hours this evening,” he exhaled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “For what!?” She shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “To follow up on a lead for the kidnappings,” he explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “No,” she shut him down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Please!” He declared. He smiled wide. “Last time, I swear.” She scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Yeah right,” she doubted. He held the smile until she cracked. “Fine! You sure that damn smile isn’t your semblance?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Pretty sure,” he pondered. Just then the door slammed open and Iris stood in the opening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Don’t punish this man!” He declared. “It’s all my fault! This man is a saint!” The captain shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Take him with you,” she instructed. He gave a single nod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Will do,” he complied.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>        “Why, might I ask, are we heading to the beach?” Iris asked as Alex drove them down the only dirt road that led miles out of town to one of the most popular tourist spots near the City of Mantle. Alex checked his rear view and gave a sigh as the skyline of the school disappeared behind them. Leave the force? Leave the council? He didn’t want to have to choose. “Eh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’m meeting my family for lunch since I’ll be working late tonight. And I told you several times that you didn’t have to come with,” Alex told him. They sat in silence for a minute before Iris spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Did the Captain give you an ultimatum?” He questioned quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “She’s making me decide which I’d rather do,” Alex explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Which one are you leaning towards?” Iris inquired. Alex drove without replying until the beach was in view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I don’t know,” Alex answered. Iris stared at him. He’d known Alex the entire time they were in the academy together, and not one had the man not known what his next move was. The next step. There was always something planned next. Once he finished cleaning up Mistral he was thinking about leaving, but would he have to do so sooner? His list hasn’t been checked off yet, there were still several high value targets that the man had yet to take down. But he’d also felt something else during Salem’s War when he had fought with Coco and the others. Maybe he was meant for something more. And Coco had seemed to think so, she kept bugging him to help them originally. There were countless major disasters he had prevented in Mistral and the Eastern side of Vale that had been in tangent with the council. He felt accomplished, but at the end of the day, whatever he chose, it was more important to him that Violet and Eliana were safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        No sooner than he had gotten out of his squad car, Eliana was already clinging to him, trying to climb up his body for a better vantage point to look Iris over from.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Is this your new partner?” Eliana asked as Violet approached and gave them a warm smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “It sure is,” Alex announced. “Mommy’s met him before but this is Iris. Hopefully I won’t need any new partners after this.” Violet chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We’ll see how that plays out,” Violet said. She shook his hand. “It’s nice to see you again, even if it was just in passing the first few times.” Iris’s face turned red as he remembered the photos from the night before and Alex cleared his throat, tempted to smack him in the back of the head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You too!” Iris blurted. Eliana giggled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “He’s strange,” Eliana noted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Would you like to talk with the strange man for a few minutes while I talk with mom?” Alex asked. Eliana looked skeptical.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I know a spot on the beach where the baby sea turtles can be seen,” Iris stated with his nose in the air. Eliana leapt down without hesitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Alright! Let’s go!” Eliana shouted. Alex watched them for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Hey! Don’t forget Spot!” Alex told her. Eliana face palmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Right! Here Spot!” Eliana called out for the invisible dog. Violet chuckled and shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You two,” she sighed happily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I know right?! Get her an invisible dog and she forgets it half the time,” Alex replied. “Kids…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What did you want to talk about?” She questioned. He looked at her for a long moment before looking out at Eliana splashing in the ocean with Iris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “My jobs aren’t agreeing with each other,” he started.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Not to mention you’re running yourself thin,” Violet added as she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. She cuddled against him. The ocean always had a knack for calming him down and with Violet’s presence surrounding him, he had a moment to think clearly. “You can’t keep burning the candle on both ends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I know,” he admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “But you don’t know which end to snuff out,” she informed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You really do know me,” he chuckled. She followed suit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You go get those kidnappers, take a few days, and figure out what you want to do,” she instructed. “Elli and I will be with you no matter what you choose, and I know you’ll make the right choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You’re really good at this,” Alex noted. “Do you have experience?” She shoved him playfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Too many late nights with you,” she laughed. “But I wouldn’t trade them away for anything. I’m just happy knowing I can give you peace of mind.” He smiled at her. Infectious. Eliana had inherited it. He watched her giggle and splash water on Iris. Maybe it was time for a change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You know what I like about the ocean?” Alex asked Violet as she stood beside him and he wrapped his arm around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Oh boy, here we go again,” she smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What?” He questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You say this every time you’re here,” she groaned. He gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I… I have never!” He defended. He pulled her in for an unexpected kiss. Her lips were soft on his. “I love you, Vi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “And I love you, Alexander.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Dad! We found a crab!” Eliana shouted rushing over with Iris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “She’s quite the energetic one,” Iris declared exasperated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Any chance you could keep an eye on her for a moment longer,” Alex inquired. “Need to make a call to see who can get us into the casino tonight.” Iris waved him off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I can get us in,” Iris informed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Really?” Alex questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Yeah…” Iris fidgeted his fingers as he clasped his palms. “You might not like to hear who my contact is though.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>        “You gotta be kidding me!” Alex shouted as they entered through an employee entrance and showed one of the girls working their badges before she disappeared down the hall into one of the side rooms. “Next time I’m making you tell me who ahead of time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “And I thought the best officer on the force could extrapolate that information!” Iris replied in a hushed yell. “You two aren’t still being weird towards each other, are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’ve never been weird about it!” Alex exclaimed. “But she makes a big deal out of it every time she sees me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Just relax, we’re on a job tonight, so I’m sure she’ll be less tightly wound,” Iris tried reassuring him as the girl returned with an outfit and ID for Iris and one of the casino’s cards for Alex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Most people would consider that a high stress situation,” Alex grumbled as they followed her to a dressing room for Iris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You wouldn’t,” Iris informed him, starting to change before Alex had time to close the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I said ‘most’ people,” Alex repeated. Iris gave himself a once over in the mirror and nodded. The door opened and in the hall stood a woman with long white hair and white rabbit ears, pink eyes that matched Iris’s, and a bunny outfit that she filled out too well. Her face turned red with blush as she spotted Alex before darkening with anger as she saw Iris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Iris!” She yelled slamming the door as she entered. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing Alex!!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Daisy! Now calm down! I thought it would be better to surprise you!” He defended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “So I couldn’t say no,” she accused. He rubbed his neck and chucked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Or maybe because of that,” Iris admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Iris…” she growled. Iris stood up and pushed past her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We needed in without involving anyone else,” Iris explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “That’s not true,” Alex informed her. “I have people for this purpose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>         “And now you don’t have to bother them,” Iris noted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>         “For this purpose,” Alex repeated slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Look, we’re already here, it’s too late to change the past, and your man is going to be here real soon,” Iris listed. “I say we go get ready to do this thing, and you can all yell at me later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Is she up to speed?” Alex called out as Daisy chased after her brother down the hall. Alex sighed. “I’ll take that as a no.” Alex followed them out onto the floor, the bustle of crowds filled his ears, along with the blaring of slot machines and people cheering at a nearby craps table. The carpeting was just as tacky as any other casino he’d ever been in, and another woman in a bunny outfit approached him and offered him a drink which he politely declined. They’d given him a VIP badge, using his actual name despite Alex insisting that they didn’t. He was to meet Strakh in about five minutes in the cocktail lounge as it had been reserved for two, but Alex was planning on inserting himself into the situation. Where had those siblings gotten to?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        Alex finally spotted Daisy after scanning the crowd and viewing many other girls in the same outfit, which inconveniently included bunny ears, making most of them look quite similar to her, with the exception of hair color. Alex made his way to her and entered the lounge. Windows tinted from the outside, the inside was dark but classy, a different music, a kind of jazz, played rather than what was being aired on the intercom on the main floor. Alex sat on one of the stools at the bar, Iris turned around to face him and poured him a drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “This is the plan?” Alex questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “If things go sideways, I grab his scroll,” Iris offered. “But I’m sure you can handle this.” Iris handed him the drink and Alex stared at it for a long moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’m going to need something stronger,” Alex said as Daisy sat next to him. “Much stronger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “How have things been, Alex?” She asked. “Haven’t seen you since you blew me off that night our senior year.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You know why I blew you off, Daisy,” Alex groaned. “My mission ran late that day. Not to mention you were too much of a party girl for me anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We could have been a great duo,” she sighed turning away from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We can still work together, just without the strings attached,” he informed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What fun is that?” She groaned as she stood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You know, we used to call you femme fatale for a reason,” he remarked. She folded her arms, nails digging into her own skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Are you trying to piss me off?” She questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Guys, he’s here!” Iris cleared his throat in a panic. Daisy glanced back towards the door he was entering through, regaining her composure as she looked him over. The man was built like an absolute brute, and they immediately wondered if his semblance was simply the ability to accumulate muscle mass. His dark orange eyes were intense and knowing, this man was well versed in the science and methodology of Dust sales and application, and it was apparently simply by the look in his eyes. His black goatee seemed appropriate for a young man of his attitude and standing, though a scar running from the corner of his lip down the chin, assured one patch of hair wouldn't grow there ever again. Another smaller scar across the bridge of his nose. His short black hair was spiked and his suit was a tailored black jacket with matching slacks. His dark blue tie completed the look. He folded a pair of glasses that he was wearing and placed them in his breast pocket as he raised one hand slowly and Daisy rushed to meet him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You must be Strakh Temnota!” She declared, cocking her hip and sticking out her tongue with a wink. “I’m Daisy, I’ll be your personal waitress tonight! Let me know if you need anything at all.” She placed a hand on his chest. “Absolutely anything…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Then perhaps you can answer my first question promptly,” he replied without any sort of reaction to her suggestion. “Who is the gentleman sitting at the bar? I recall quite specifically requesting that the lounge be reserved for myself and Ms. Conopsis, with no exceptions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “He suggested that he was sent here by a colleague of yours,” Daisy suggested leaning in closer, though he leaned back in retaliation to her chagrin. “Abigor, I believe he said that man’s name was.” It was then that Strakh gritted his teeth, seething before nodding once and smiling, as if the adverse reaction was nothing more than a knee jerk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Thank you,” Strakh replied as he walked to the counter and sat beside Alex without giving him the time of day and ordering a glass of brandy on the rocks. “So…” Strakh cast him a side glance, observing his lanyard before turning back to the glass that his drink was being poured into. “Alex, is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I heard you were the man to talk to if I wanted to get a piece of the action of what’s been going on around here,” Alex informed him. He looked to Iris and nodded. “I’ll have what he’s having.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Sure thing,” Iris replied with a wink that made Strakh chuckle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “It sounds like you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Strakh chuckled, sipping lightly on his alcohol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “He’s a cop, they won’t tell him much,” Daisy said with a wink, bending at the waist between the two of them to place a small glass bowl of peanuts between them, her ass intentionally much closer to Strakh than it needed to be. Alex shot her a glare and she smiled wickedly before winking at him, pulling back slowly, becoming frustrating at her failure to get a rise out of Strakh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “A cop, hm?” Strakh questioned. Iris glanced between the two of them, sure that Alex could talk his way out of it, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “She’s right,” Alex admitted. He slammed the brandy as if he was taking a shot, the glass crashing down on the bar top harder than was necessary, but not with enough force to shatter it. “But the department is constantly cutting corners and cutting our bonuses and standard wages wherever they can. There’s no more moving up, and when you have a family and dog to provide for, you’ll do whatever you have to in order to go beyond making ends meet. Surely a man from Vacuo can understand that.” Strakh stared at him for a long moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I think you might have me pegged for the wrong businessman,” Strakh said plainly. “I worked hard to get where I am. Just another nobody, in another wandering tribe of nobodies, in the middle of the desert that nobody cared about or would have missed. A sandstorm killed everyone but me. I grew up on the streets and put my intellect to good use. I could sell anything to anyone. An entrepreneur for the ages. Whatever you think we’re doing here isn’t ‘doing whatever’. What we’re doing will revolutionize the way that wars are fought forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “So you’re a warmonger at the very least,” Alex noted. Strakh sighed and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I guess there’s no better term for it, is there?” Strakh admitted. He laughed. “I like you. You seem like a man who has no fear, a rare quality in a world full of monsters that feed on it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “ Fear isn’t a luxury for someone like me,” Alex stated. Strakh nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “That’s why men like us claw our way to the top so effectively,” Strakh pointed out as a woman appeared in the doorway. “Fear doesn’t dictate our lives.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Such ideology can lead to recklessness,” said the woman who had been in the opening but had instantly moved to Strakh. He looked up at her and smiled softly, the both of them looking at Alex who was turning white. White dress that came down to her knees, slightly blue tinted skin, grey hair in a mess with piercing white eyes that were hazy. He knew this woman. “Who is our friend?” She spoke slowly. Alex knew exactly who this woman was. He spied the single fang of a King Taiju, or at least a weapon modeled after one, attached to her hip. This was Medusa. Jaibrian ‘Medusa’ Conopsis, and she was on his most wanted list.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Alex L…” Strakh paused. “I never caught your last name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Latherus…” She added a few seconds later. Iris nearly dropped the glass stein he was cleaning, glancing back over his shoulder at the woman and smiling with a nod. “Just water.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “The two of you have met before?” Strakh inquired, delighted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “He saved me from a King Taiju,” she explained, her words slurred. “He’s half the reason I’m alive. The other half is Silvia Blood.” Strakh nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I see now why you want to help our cause,” Strakh said, standing and offering her his seat. Blood. Silvia Blood. That was all he needed! Though something told him that dipping out early would be frowned upon, but it wasn’t like additional info would hurt him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “At the time she was only able to stop the poison from killing me… she wasn’t able to remove it,” Medusa explained. “I’m hoping to meet her and she can finish what she began.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “That might be more difficult than you’d expect,” Strakh pointed out sitting again. “She’s constantly on the move due to the taboo nature of her work. I’ve only met with her twice myself.” Medusa seemed annoyed as her hand crawled painstakingly towards the glass of water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “If I cannot meet with her… helping her is good enough… for now,” she responded in fragmented thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “If I support this endeavor of Ms. Blood’s, how do I know what I’m giving towards?” Alex interrogated. “Jaibrian might not need an answer, but that won’t cut it for me.” Strakh placed his hand over his face and laughed heartily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You doubt me?” He asked. “As I’ve already noted, her work will change the tide of wars. There will be no stopping us. We have the formula all but perfected, it’s not as if I’m unknowing in the ways of Dust or Aura. I’ve discovered that a person’s aura can be syphoned from them and transplanted into another, their semblance then taking on a new form, if not quite as strong as the original. And Dust applications go far beyond that of simple physical applications or those of producing energy. Imagine Dust based medicines.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Then I suppose I’m in,” Alex shrugged. Strakh looked at him with an air of confusion. “There’s no amount of prying that will get me more information than you’ve already given me. And like you said, men like us need to stick together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “He’s something else… huh…?” Medusa managed as she placed her lien on the bar, easily twenty thousand. The most that Alex had managed to acquire from the council was ten thousand, but they had bugged a few of the lien, and seeing as the man was far from his home in Vacuo, it was assumed he would be leaving straight away from this meeting to pay Blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “He certainly is,” Strakh agreed as Daisy draped herself on his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Is there anything I can help you with before you leave?” She asked, dragging her fingers across his upper chest. He removed her hand and shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “My meeting must remain brief,” Strakh explained, standing and shoving her away. Iris made eye contact with her, he knew that look, though he hardly ever saw it. Her semblance was the ability to break Aura through simply physical touch, the more the person was aroused by her, the easier it was for her to shatter… but this man was giving her nothing. “I will only be here for a few days and I must return home next week ahead of the storm that’s coming. My wife has a bad habit of driving recklessly in the rain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “It was a pleasure having you here at the casino,” she called after him, surprised by the illusion of urgency he was suddenly giving off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Yes, quite,” he informed her, leaving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Please come again!” She yelled, chasing him down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “She’s looking a bit desperate,” Medusa laughed to herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Eh, he didn’t spend any money while he was here,” Alex noted tossing lien on the table for both of their drinks. “I’m sure she’s just trying to convince him to come back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Your heart rate elevated when I entered… why?” She inquired. Alex averted his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I wasn’t sure you’d recognize me,” he sheepishly offered, hoping she’d buy it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I know I’m on the most wanted list,” she noted slowly standing. “You were thinking of scoring big. You still are.” She looked at Iris. “So are you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What?” Iris asked, backing away slowly and laughing awkwardly. “I assure you that I’m nothing more than a bartender.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “But why would I make </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>nervous then?” She questioned. “Is there something about me that frightens you?” Iris reached for his weapon which was attached to his side, ready to extend the lightning Dust prod at a moment's notice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I just found your skin a bit off putting,” he admitted. Alex’s eyes grew wide as he glanced up at Iris, teeth gritted as he shook his head. Iris was honest to a fault!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You don’t think I’m attractive?” She sighed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I don’t think you’re unattractive,” he offered, trying to calm things down. It was the wrong move. He watched her carefully for a long moment before she was instantly beside him, her arm swinging down to puncture his shoulder with her venom-filled, weaponized fang. It came to a sudden halt as it hit one of Alex’s barriers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You’re going to regret this exchange,” she informed him. She could see the fear in his eyes, teleporting behind him and trying again, only to be stopped once more, looking for a mirror before noting Alex’s gaze on her, using her semblance to blink to him, almost catching him off guard. He blocked at the last second, despite her being behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Don’t look at her!” Alex shouted at Iris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>       “So I was right,” she noted. He threw her back from him with a forcefield and moved briskly to the counter, dragging Iris out from behind it and forcing him towards the opposite entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Go!” Alex shouted at him. “I can fight her without looking at her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Sure!” Iris replied without hesitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You saved me before, and now you’re willing to fight me?” She questioned. He used his force fields to map the room as he reentered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Like you said, I’m thinking of scoring big, and I know your weakness,” Alex noted moving towards her carefully, well aware of her disadvantage of sloth that inflicted her body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Then you know my kill count, and that they haven’t been able to stop me yet,” she replied as a smile crept across her face. “Help!!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What?” Alex stammered in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Someone help!!!” She screamed. He glanced up to where she’d been but she was already gone. This was the worst case scenario, but the odds that she’d simply leave were in their favor now that she was armed with the knowledge that he could stop her if given another chance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Don’t we need to stop her?” Iris asked as he returned, looking through the slits between the fingers covering his face as they left back out onto the casino floor. Alex glared him down and moved quickly past his partner who chased after him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Not unless you’ve got an idea or Aura cancelling restraints with you,” Alex explained. “Her strength and speed increase ten fold when she teleports, but it can only happen if she’s being looked at. Not to mention, her profile made it a point to repeat over and over again that as long as people aren’t actively pissing her off, she has a pretty long fuse due to how slow her heart is, so thanks for getting her worked up. I really hope she decides to tell Strakh all about this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We hardly have to worry about him again,” Iris noted as they left out a service entrance. “With those tracking lien, we’ll be able to find this Blood woman without any issue. We’ll finally find those kids and rescue them. Just another day for Alex Latherus, one of the council’s best and one of Remnant’s finest huntsmen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You make my job sound easy,” Alex chuckled as he remembered he still had a choice to make. Was he going to keep being a cop, or give it up to join the council full time? No, his focus had to be on finding this… Silvia Blood and finding out what she was </span>
  <span>doing…</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What will Alex find? Next week, Chapter 28: Experiments!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Experiments</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alex is looking into Blood, but what will he find?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Based</span>
  <span> on our GPS tracking and the information that you’ve given us about the area, it's probably some kind of old military bunker from the Great War. You’re absolutely sure that there’s nothing out there?” Coco clarified with him as he peered down his night vision binoculars again, confirming that there was absolutely nothing happening in the large empty field. Alex had lived in Mistral for all of his life, and despite being taught about battles from the Great War back in his time at the Academy, he couldn’t recall any battles taking place here, unless this was a storage for Dust and weapons that no one was aware of. He’d been sitting in his cruiser for some time on the outskirts of the city close to the wall, making it appear to anyone passing by that he was most likely waiting for someone to pass into the city that wasn’t supposed to be there, escorting a council member, or waiting for some unlucky speeder to race by late at night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Hopefully someone shows up here soon, because I’m getting tired and I’m sure Violet would like me home before it gets too late,” Alex groaned. Coco chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You didn’t bring that new guy with you, did you? She asked him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You told me not to,” Alex reminded her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Honestly, he was just slowing you down,” Coco noted as they sat there in radio silence for another moment or two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I can go out there if you want, but we don't know where the entrance is,” Alex offered as he shut off his engine and unbuckled before Coco stopped him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Wait, isn’t someone coming right now?” She asked him. He wasn’t sure how he hadn’t heard it before until it passed directly overhead, but a helicopter was landing out where he had been directed to. The aircraft landed on top of the bog, and Alex half-expected for it to be swallowed up. After a long moment, the ground beneath it shook and opened, allowing the helicopter to descend further. Alex sat there for a long moment with his mouth agape, Coco’s voice chuckling softly on the other side as she somehow just knew his reaction, the man wasn’t all that easy to surprise after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “There has to be another way in,” Alex noted as he left his vehicle, double checking to make sure he had his gun,  Lex Et Ordo, on his hip. He made his way towards the swamp land, nearly getting stuck in the mud several times before he reached a set of vines to push aside to make way for him, only to find he was touching a wall. “Cloaking tech? Is this the work of Atlas?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We do have similar tech to that, but this isn't our work. We know as much as you do, “ Winter pointed out as she joined the comms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Specialist Schnee, I didn’t think that you’d have time to join us this evening,” Coco pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I can always make time for threats to Remnant’s peace,” Winter offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Spoken like a true student of Ironwood,” Coco jested. Winter ignored her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’ll feel around for a door then,” Alex interrupted, reminding them that he was still there. He felt around on the wall for far too long before Coco offered him some help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “It won't be an exact location, but based on the information that we received from the GPS, I can give you a general idea of where the door is,” Coco offered. Alex sighed and shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “That would be ideal, yes,” he groaned as she typed furiously on her keyboard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Let’s just hope they don’t mind you using the front door,” Coco exclaimed. “Because I’m guessing that’s the one you’ll be taking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Doubtful,” Alex corrected her. “Strakh seemed like the kind of guy who makes sure whatever he does that might be seen by the public is agreeable, even if it's a few guards or scientists in lab coats.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        Alex moved around the large complex and was rewarded for being right, the service entrance that Strakh must have entered through seemed sparsely used which was evidenced as he managed to force the lock apart with his Semblance, which activated the alarm, but so happened to be near a hamper of clean lab coats. He was swarmed quickly by a group of hapless individuals armed with Atlas tech, and one scientist, who obviously wasn’t Blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What the hell is going on back here?” The scientist inquired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Stepped out for a smoke break and locked myself out,” Alex offered with a shrug. “It’s not the first time I’ve done it, but Blood said if I messed up anymore that she’d have my ass, and I really need this job to provide for my family. Can we just keep this between the two of us?” Something in Alex’s bullshit struck enough of a nerve in the man as he looked Alex over before picking up his radio, a woman’s voice screaming into it in some kind of code.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “False alarm,” he told her. “We’ll get it reset, ma’am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I want you to double and triple check that it was nothing more than a false alarm, we’re already on thin ice!” She screamed back. Alex shrunk down, mouthing thank you as the other lab coat rolled his eyes and nodded at him, motioning him down the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “He didn’t ask for an ID?” Coco questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Maybe it’s a common occurrence?” Alex offered up. “Maybe none of them like Blood? I’m not going to question it.” Alex moved briskly, as if he was urgently returning to his research and wasn’t a man desperate to get to the bottom of what was going on and put an end to it. He passed by an employee lounge, a blue hue pouring in from the window that lined the small cafeteria, and it quickly dawned on him that the light was artificial. He walked towards the glass, afraid of what he might find next, and the actual answer alarming him more than what they had speculated. An entire warehouse that stretched on for far too long. Cryogenic pods, with children suspended within them in stasis. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Changing the tide of wars. Dust and Aura. No… No!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Have you found anything yet, Alex?” Winter pried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We… We’re much too late,” he stammered as he left the room in a dash and found a set of stairs that would take him out to his destination. “Their aura, their blood, DNA, it doesn’t matter!!!” A rail separated him from jumping the catwalk to the floor below and he did so, scrambling to the closest screen as he hit his feet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Orphea Adonia</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>        Sex: Female</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>        Age: 14</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>        Modification: 30% DNA infusion with Fire Dust</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>        Status:</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>        DECEASED</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>        Alex ran from screen to screen, the cold cocoons holding no more than lifeless vessels across the entire floor. Deceased. Deceased. Deceased. He had failed. He hadn’t rescued these children… but he could give their families closure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Coco,” Alex spoke, his voice alarming her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What did you find?” She inquired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I need permission to execute both this Blood woman and Strakh Temnota, on sight,” he informed her as he used a forcefield to lift himself back up to the catwalk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Alex… stop. You have to tell us what you found so that we can respond appropriately,” Coco explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I will do this whether you give me permission or not,” Alex fumed. “I can give you the details once these pieces of shit are six feet under.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Alex…” Coco hesitated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I give him permission,” Winter spoke. There was a long and unnerving silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “This is on you then,” Coco replied as she left the call.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “If I’m not done in about fifteen minutes you have my full permission to abandon me here,” Alex stated, as if it mattered. Whatever they said easily ruled whatever he was felt in that moment, but he felt that he needed to say it. “This conversation never happened and everything will end with me, right here, right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Of course,” Winter agreed. Alex stormed down the hall, pinning the man who had vouched for him before against the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Wha…” He stammered, gripping at his neck, an invisible force tightening its hold on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Why would you do this?!” Alex shouted. “All of this!?!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Like you said before!” The man screamed, panicking. “We all have families to feed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What about the families that have children that disappeared?!” Alex demanded. “What about them?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Remnant is a dog eat dog world, it’s either theirs or mine! Besides, Blood said they were close to…” Alex crushed his chest, watching in slight horror as the man fell lifeless to the ground. He slowed his breathing. He couldn’t let his rage blind him. This wasn’t the right course of action!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Coco, I’ll bring them in alive,” Alex replied over his comms before hearing a set of guards heading his direction. “They need to face the courts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I knew you’d come around,” Coco admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “If you are unable to do so safely, you still have my permission to take them out,” Winter reiterated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Pfft, Alex always gets his man,” Coco scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Of course,” Winter agreed. Alex took a deep breath and peered down the hall. Uniform soldiers. All using similar Atlas branded guns. These weren’t huntsmen. They didn’t have aura. Alex fired down the hallway and around their riot shield, as if using magic bullets, hitting his mark on everyone of them and disabling them with a shot through their leg just below the knee. They wouldn’t die, but they’d be crippled for good, which in honesty was a small price to pay for what they’d done. An alarm began blaring again above Alex, letting him know that he needed to move even faster if he was going to find his target before she escaped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “No! It wasn't supposed to happen this way! Get me Merlot now! Why is she the only one that survived?!” came a thundering demand from a nearby corridor. Alex moved toward it, ducking into a room adjacent to what he assumed to be Blood’s as scientists and guards ran about everywhere trying to collect data quickly. All this because he had shown up, how paranoid was this woman? He stopped and listened, trying to determine what was going on. Something slammed on the top of a desk, off of which something crashed on the floor and shattered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “For a man who acts like a god, you sure don’t listen to the people who are praising you very much, do you? He’s been dead for years, asshole! Why do I have to tell you this every time that we meet? Is it because I’m a woman? Are you that much of a misogynist?” The woman replied with just as much authority. “Merlot is dead and nothing is going to bring him back any time soon. You have me to talk to, and I had a single successful trial, but she needs more testing and it seems that we’ve been found out. I’m taking my files and I’m leaving, this work is too valuable to be lost to the council.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We don’t know that it’s the council!” Strakh bellowed. “It’s probably some clueless huntsman who stumbled upon the place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Quite the coincidence after meeting the best known cop in all of Mistral,” Blood growled. “Or did you think I wouldn’t find out?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Abigor sent him! I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, that man would only see us fail!” Strakh defended himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You are too young and naïve to make it as a crime lord,” Blood argued. “You can try and blame someone else all you want, and I really don’t care about all of this bullshit going on with you and Abigor. I did what you asked, and I demand that you pay me. You told me before that you know the location of the Life Stone. Where is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “This is not what we agreed on! I needed an army, not a little girl who keeps crying for her parents!” Strakh snarled. Alex had moved to the hallway, watching as the brute snatched up a scientist running by. “Burn everything down! This was a failure and I'm holding you responsible, Blood!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Do not burn anything down!” Blood protested. Strakh reached into his jacket and pulled out an unprocessed crystal of pure Fire Dust, stomping it beneath with an explosion that would have taken off most average people’s limbs that were standing too close. Alex was tossed away, flames roaring in every direction as he tumbled and found a footing, using a forcefield to stop the second explosion from reaching him. How many times could Strakh’s aura handle him doing that? And moreover, what about the building and everything inside? Another scream from Blood as the third and final crystal was detonated by Strakh, the floor giving out beneath him as multiple employees and himself fell into the fiery abyss below, the hall now scorched, and Alex wondered if he planned this from the start, considering how well the building was burning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Help!” Came a weak call from the office. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Someone was still in there? Was it Blood? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Alex rushed to the room, finding it to be larger than even the lunch room with a single cryo chamber inside that was leaking a steam like fog. Was someone inside? Were they still alive?! He made it across the expanse using a forcefield and used his semblance to force the machine open, a young girl, in her mid to late teens, swung out nearly hitting him. “Why is there so much fire?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “It’s okay, I’ve got you!” Alex tried to assure her. He pulled her out and intended to carry her in his arms but they were frozen the moment he touched her, to the point of nearly giving him hypothermic burns. He coated himself with his forcefield and gingerly made his way out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What’s happening!? Where am I?! Where’s my family?!” She paused for a moment before thrashing in his arms. “They killed my family!!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Is Ilia close by?” Alex requested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I don’t think Amitola will be able to help grab everything before it turns to ash,” Coco offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “There’s a girl here that survived!” Alex called back, fighting through the flames with ease as the girl was turning everything to ice around him and was starting to wear on his aura. He couldn’t hold onto her like this for long. He just needed to get out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What?!” Coco shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “The SDC can take her once Ilia has picked her up,” Winter declared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I’ll get her there as soon as I can,” Coco informed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You’ll be alright,” Alex assured her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What’s her name?” Coco inquired. Alex recalled reading the detail screen quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Bái Lung.”</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>        “Seriously?” Titus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Bái is the responsibility of the Atlas Military,” Nat explained as she paused the memory. “I’ve been trying to keep an eye on her, but every time I hear that something has gone wrong, it seems your team has already handled it. Maybe Winter should have assigned you to this mission instead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I still don’t understand how she would have forgotten about everything in her past,” Titus noted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “That one’s easy,” Natalia replied. “They had Yatsu and Jaune remove all of her memories.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “What?!” Titus shouted as he stood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Sit down,” Nat told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “They agreed to something like that?!” He declared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “She couldn’t be consoled when they got her back to Atlas,” she explained to him. “She let out an endless freeze, a blizzard within her chambers that began spreading and claimed the lives of several soldiers. It lasted for two weeks.” Titus believed it, he had seen her having terrors before and if they hadn’t stopped her the results might have been catastrophic. He sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Alright,” he nodded, agreeing with their decision. He began heading up the steps towards the doors, looking back at Nat to make sure that she was following him. “Are you coming?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You didn’t want to see how it ends?” She questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I know he died to a pack of Grimm, I’m assuming that’s how it ends. We already saw him rescue Bái and I’m sure that Blood is still out there somewhere considering the new Grimm recently. Strakh’s back in Vacuo now as we speak. What more is there to know?” Titus inquired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “She… she doesn't know…” Nat stumbled over the words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Who doesn’t know?” Titus asked, making his way back down to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I assume Eliana told you that he died to a pack of Grimm,” Natalia asserted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Of course,” he reaffirmed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I think you should see the rest of this,” Natalia informed him.</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>        “Today’s the day!” Alex exclaimed excitedly as Violet placed a finger to his lips and kissed him shortly afterward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I thought we were going to tell her after we get back from the store,” Violet reminded him. He kissed her back and smiled large, his happiness radiating off of him and into her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We are! We are! I’m just nervous! And beyond elated!” He told her nearly sweeping her off of her feet as he pulled her in for yet another kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Guess you’re happy with your decision then,” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You bet I am!” Alex declared. “I’ve lived here all of my life and I’ve given it my all. I think a change will be for the best for all three of us. And from what you’ve told me of your childhood, Patch sounds like a nice, quiet place to raise Elli.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I heard my name!” Eliana shouted as she raced into the kitchen and looked up at her parents. “What’s up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Did you hear anything else?” Alex pried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “That I’m getting a gun so I can practice with you soon?” Eliana asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “She was totally listening in,” Alex groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “No, you’re still far too young for that,” Violet scolded. Eliana and Alex both folded their arms and frowned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You’re never too young to learn how to fight Grimm,” they replied in unison. “Jinx!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You owe me a soda!” Eliana yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Mom can buy you one at the store,” Alex noted, sticking his tongue out playfully at Violet as Eliana leapt up and down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Yes!” Eliana hollered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Ready to go?” Violet asked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Yep! Is dad coming with?” Eliana questioned. Alex winked at Violet before crouching to Eliana’s level.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I have something to take care of here, but I have a surprise for you when you come back,” he assured her. She lit up, eyes twinkling, and a smile as wide as his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Really!?” She pressed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Really,” he parroted. He kissed her forehead. “I love you, Elli.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I love you too, dad!” She replied. He stood and kissed his wife.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I love you too, Vi,” Alex offered. She smiled and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Love you too, Alex,” Violet answered. With that, Eliana and Violet left, and Alex would have time to get the basics packed before they returned. They would stay a few days with Violet’s parents while Alex moved everything else over to their new home. He would be at Coco’s direct command for any missions within the Kingdom of Vale, an official Huntsmen under the Authority of the Remnant’s Peace Council. Everything was perfect. The department had thrown him a party, with the exception of a select few criminals on the list, he had single handedly cleaned up the city. They wished him good luck. Iris cried, and Alex regretted not being able to work with him for longer. But this was his happily ever after, a place to raise his daughter, to teach her everything there was about fighting Grimm, about staying alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        Not long after his family had left there was a knock on the door and he could only assume that it was one of the movers. He opened it without a second thought, a mighty suckerpunch to the gut throwing him through the wall behind him and he crashed into the staircase, stopping his momentum instantly and doing a number to his aura.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You don’t understand how difficult it is to make me angry enough to take matters into my own hands,” Strakh said as he allowed himself in. “So what you’ve done here really is quite the feat. Congratulations. You pissed me off.” Alex chuckled as he slowly stood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You talk in circles an awful lot, don’t you?” Alex questioned. “We are done pretending to get along, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I did my homework on you after I spoke with Blood the other night,” Strakh smirked. “Your aura is incomplete, isn’t it? Something happened while you were in Salem’s War, didn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You really did your research, only the council knows about that,” Alex replied. “I was young and dumb at that point, but we managed to take down the rest of Salem’s forces at that point, so I’d say it was an overall success.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “That’s where you’re wrong, you…” Strakh began before a forcefield to the jaw sent him reeling and cut him off. Strakh stared at the floor for a long moment before grunting. “I am the new head of Salem’s Army.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Pleasant surprise,” Alex said, hitting him again as he moved closer, picking his gun up off of the table. “If I take you down that means I’ll have two S-Rank takedowns in my career. They might even give me a week off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Didn’t you hear what I said?” Strakh repeated. “I know your weakness.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “We’ll see about that,” Alex stated. Strakh charged forward towards Alex, hitting a forcefield that stopped him dead in his tracks allowing Alex another blow to his jaw, jarring the man in the other direction, but he shook it off. He swung around with alarming speed, his fist shattering the forcefield separating the two men before swinging for Alex but missing, the man using his own semblance to throw himself back. He fried a bullet, the monster’s aura taking the damage as he continued his pursuit of Alex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You can’t win,” Strakh chuckled. “Whether you fear me or not is no matter. You will die.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “So much talk for such an insecure man,” Alex replied. Alex fired in rapid succession, hugging corners as he danced through his house to avoid letting the brute reach him. He reloaded quickly, unsure if the bullets would be enough to stop him, but certain he could wear the man down. He disappeared around another corner, Strakh not following this time and Alex paused for a moment. He could use his ability to feel where he was. He was just standing on the other side of the wall. Was he trying to bide time? Had he already bested Strakh? That couldn’t have been it, there was no way…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        Without any warning, the beast crashed through the wall, smashing through Alex’s forcefield and grappling him by the neck. Alex gripped the hand to try and free himself, his semblance creating just enough space to allow him to breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Long live Salem,” Strakh spoke. Alex rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Too bad you don’t know the layout of the house,” Alex informed him. Alex splintered the floor above them with his ability, the bathtub crashing down onto Strakh and freeing Alex who leapt back and made sure another forcefield on top would keep him down. “I will not be that easy to take down.” His semblance gave again, the tub crashing towards him and catching him, they slammed through the next wall and into the yard as Alex managed to free himself. His aura was already close… this was bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “The longer you make it take for me to finish you, the more of a chance I’ll still be here when your family comes back,” Strakh exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Like I’d let that happen!” Alex shouted, noting that he had lost his gun somewhere in the chaos. Alex threw up several barriers in a row to stop the man from reaching him, pushing his limits as he tried using his semblance to dismember him, but instead lacerated his body. Strakh’s aura moved quickly to keep up but was failing, leaving large gashes on the man’s back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You’re pissing me off!!!” Strakh declared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Good!” Alex yelled back. Focus. Breathe. He wasn’t sure where his weapon was, but he could do this. His aura was close, but if he kept Strakh busy, there was a good chance of victory. He stretched himself thin, his forcefields cutting through the supports of the house like butter. He was sure the council would bail him out, and he would have liked to have kept most of the things in the house, but what mattered more was that this man was stopped. Before he could completely bring the house down the kitchen sink and table crashed through his multiple barriers, Strakh using one as a shield to batter his way through before swinging the plumbing around with a solid blow to Alex’s head. His aura shattered as he was planted into the ground, taking his breath away as pain seared through his body, a second blow from Strakh crashing into his chest and breaking his ribs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Gahhh!!!!!!” Alex screamed in pain as Strakh pulled back and nearly stumbled back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “You put up a good fight,” Strakh admitted, dropping his makeshift gear, his own aura fizzling out as he pulled Alex out of the ground and tossed him back into the house with a sickly thud. “I’ll even spare the rest of the family since you were such a good sport.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “How… sweet of you…” Alex managed wheezing. Something was digging into his back where he’d landed, and he was sure he recognized the shape. He couldn’t draw a full breathe, the pain was far too great.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “To think you’d come so close,” Strakh groaned, sitting on what was left of the tub. “No man has ever come so close to killing me, and none ever shall again. Salem is standing at my side always, and by her grace, I will become ruler over all of Remnant. Strakh looked at his hands, his strength not yet returned and he freed the faucet from the porcelain, slowly finding his feet and stretching. “Really banged me up. I don’t think my back is ever going to heal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Good…” Alex exhaled, closing his eyes. He’d failed. There was no doubt about that. He wouldn’t live through this. Because of his aura being partial, it also returned faster. He had one shot… one shot left to leave a lasting mark… Strakh lumbered closer, just a few more steps.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Violet… I’m sorry… You always told me that I worked too much and look where it got me…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>        Eliana… I’m sorry… Take care of your mother… She’ll need it…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Any last words?” Strakh inquired. A split second was all he’d have. Anything was better than nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Is Salem still here?” Alex gasped. He quickly pulled the gun out from behind his back, shooting Strakh square in the kneecap, the man screaming in pain as he hit the ground, rendered partially immobile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Bastard!” Strakh shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Guess not,” Alex grunted. It was getting harder to breathe. His aura could slow his death, but he wouldn’t come back. He failed. He failed, didn’t he?</span>
</p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>As long as you do your best to keep Remnant safe, that’s all that matters, right?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>        Violet always knew what to tell him. He smiled softly as he relaxed his body, Strakh trying to push past his pain to stand. He needed to leave. He reached into his suit, tossing an active device onto the ground, propping himself up with the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “I hope the Grimm that come here leave your body unrecognizable!” Strakh screamed in agony as he limped out slowly, making a call on his scroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Sir, where are you, we thought you’d be back by now!” The voice replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Have my driver pick me up north of town, I’ll meet him along the road,” Strakh grunted, disappearing from the memory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>        “Elli…” Alex said whimpering. He was bargaining. He didn’t want to go. “Elli… Vi…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>He didn’t want to go.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Dance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The yearly dance comes around once again...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am so sorry about the late upload! The editor had it done over the weekend as intended and then my vaccine started kicking my ass. But here it is now! Hope you all enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"How are we already this far into the first quarter?" Cobalt asked as he stretched in his seat, speaking over Nora who was droning on and on as she normally did, drawing a few frustrated looks from other students who were nearby and trying to take notes. "Feels like it was just a few chapters ago that we took on that pack of Grimm near Vale when Qrow and Ruby showed up and saved our asses. You remember, right Tawney?" He glanced over his right shoulder at her, the girl turning red in the face and her eye twitching as she gripped her pencil too hard and it snapped in half, causing her to completely lose her cool.</p><p>"I'm trying to learn!" She shouted at him, drawing a round of laughter followed by Nora clearing her throat and glaring at them, shaking her head slowly. Tawney blushed in shame, waving apologetically before glancing about for another writing utensil, ignoring the one that Cobalt was offering. The bell rang and devastation filled her as everyone stood and began leaving, she looked after her fellow classmates in desperation, hoping that she could ask someone for their notes before they left, but failed to do so with Cobalt close behind her the entire time.</p><p>"I can give you the notes you missed," Cobalt offered up. She swung around, gripping him tightly by the collar and holding him in place.</p><p>"How the hell did you hear anything she was saying while you were babbling nonsense the entire time?!" Tawney demanded.</p><p>"She said earlier on in the class that it was all going to be a recap," he sheepishly mentioned. Tawney lightened up slightly and sighed, dropping him as she slumped out of the door. "Everything good?"</p><p>"Been on edge," she stated. "I'm close to passing Neela…"</p><p>"That's great! Isn't that what you want?" Cobalt inquired.</p><p>"Not like this," Tawney stated. Tawney watched Ilia and Titus pass by them in the hallway, with Eren a few steps behind, the former were discussing something in earnest, Ilia laughing loudly as Titus shook his head in disagreement, Eren shuffling along as to not draw any unwanted attention, doing his best to be part of the team without getting too close, which seemed typical for him. "I want to pass Neela at her apex. What good is it to beat someone while they're down?"</p><p>"Tawney! Cobalt!" Bái called out to them as she spotted them with Lykos in tow.</p><p>"What's going on?" Cobalt asked.</p><p>"You two are planning on going to the dance tonight, right?" Bái asked excitedly before Lykos could say anything. Tawney glanced at Cobalt and looked away. Was Cobalt planning on going? Was that already tonight? Her mind swam as Cobalt struck a pose, hands on his hips, chest puffed out as she chuckled.</p><p>"I wouldn't miss it!" Cobalt declared. "I talked to Yvonne and she's planning on meeting me there!" Tawney's heart sank, crashing to the bottom of her ribs. Cobalt said that they were finished… what happened?</p><p>"Are you going, Tawney?" Lykos questioned. She sighed.</p><p>"I don't know," she groaned. "I only really went because of the concert last year. I don't know if I really have a reason to go."</p><p>"It would still be more fun if you did come," Cobalt noted. She looked at him, trying to not get her hopes up.</p><p>"I'll think about it," Tawney offered as they spotted some of Neela's friends passing by.</p><p>"Can you imagine! Our first dance! What do you think it will be like!? All of the men looking dapper in their school uniforms and you'll be looking like the snacc that you are!" Honey exclaimed as she walked down the hall hand-in-hand with Lueur. Lueur tilted her head and smiled, closing her eyes, leaning in and kissing Honey on the cheek. "You're excited too, right?" Lueur nodded furiously and Honey kissed her back. "Good!"</p><p>"I for one, am not," Apophis noted.</p><p>"Why not? At least be excited for Lueur," Honey pled. Lueur pouted and he chuckled.</p><p>"Fine," Apophis agreed, smirking. "Just for Lueur." She smiled and made a puzzled look before holding her hand over her eyes, scanning the area, and holding up four fingers.</p><p>"Maybe we'll meet a fourth member for our team?" Honey spoke for her. "We might! From what I hear there are a lot of kids that come from different schools, maybe one of them would transfer, especially one of the solos from the smaller schools like Patch!" Honey accidentally ran into Ivory, bouncing off of the girl and sliding away a few feet. "I'm so sorry! Really! It was an accident."</p><p>"No sweat!" Ivory told them with a smile. She looked back at her wings. "I know they can get in the way a bit sometimes."</p><p>"They're beautiful, by the way," Honey replied blushing, Lueur shaking her head and dragging her girlfriend away.</p><p>"What an odd bunch," Rowan groaned.</p><p>"They seem alright," Ivory defended. "They're easy on the eyes. Are you coming to the dance tonight?"</p><p>"Yeah, Soya and I have something in the works," Rowan told her with a smirk. Ivory sighed and shook her head.</p><p>"Why do you associate with her?" Ivory pondered as they began walking down the hallway towards their next class.</p><p>"I'm trying to get some tail," He chuckled.</p><p>"She has a girlfriend," Ivory reminded him.</p><p>"So does Yvonne, but that doesn't keep her from sleeping around," Rowan offered.</p><p>"They're friends with benefits," Ivory corrected. "Honestly I don't know why that poor bastard sticks around. I had a round with her back before we came here, she was easy and hardly worth it."</p><p>"One woman's trash is another man's treasure," Rowan replied. Ivory looked at him for a long moment and shook her head.</p><p>"I… Ugh…" She sighed. She spotted Ilia heading back towards her locker and called out after her. "Save a dance for me tonight?"</p><p>"We'll see," Ilia teasingly replied. Ivory blushed and nudged Rowan.</p><p>"Now that's a woman," Ivory pointed out.</p><p>"She seems to be in a better mood," Rowan observed.</p><p>"Vin's been laying off of her. Guess he finally realized that suffocating her with texts was a bad idea," Ivory added, shaking her head as ONYX entered the hallway from the far end.</p><p>"And I assume that you and Titus are going together?" Orin pried. "Since the two of you have been engaging in sexual intercourse." Natalia blushed and hit him hard enough in the arm to leave a bruise.</p><p>"For someone so elegant, you sure know how to be crass..." She scolded.</p><p>"Would you have preferred dancing the horizontal mambo?" Yin questioned.</p><p>"Playing a game of hide the pickle maybe?" Xavier included.</p><p>"The next time we have a training day I'm going to kick all of your asses," Natalia seethed. "But yes, we're going together."</p><p>"It's all good," Yin stated. "We know X is just going to go so he can try and slide into Ilia's DMs."</p><p>"Or not!" Xavier defended.</p><p>"You're not going?" Yin asked.</p><p>"I'm going, but I'm not after Ilia!" Xavier yelled. Yin threw his hands up.</p><p>"Fine. Fine," Yin relaxed. "Orin, you going?"</p><p>"Of course," Orin informed them. "I'll be stag, but I enjoy a little rest and relaxation from time to time. Not to mention, girls need a night to be flattered every now and then."</p><p>"What a guy," Yin smirked. Orin seemed proud of himself.</p><p>"I try," Orin chuckled. At the intersection of the hallway he spotted Neela, the girl looked out of place as she sheepishly waved to someone she knew, her eyes focusing more on the floor than anything else as she exhaled in a shuddering fashion. The girl had been in an absolute downward spiral since her friend had left. Allegedly Eliana had gotten herself a girlfriend, which hadn't helped, not to mention the fact that two of her teammates were going steady. Plus the added stress of a teammate who wasn't cooperating as well as he could be. Orin tried to understand the pressure she must have been feeling. He separated himself from his team and walked out to meet Neela. "Hey."</p><p>"Oh!" Neela exclaimed startled. She looked at him and offered a weak smile. "Orin, I didn't see you."</p><p>"Is everything okay?" He asked her. Neela chuckled sheepishly, but his gaze wasn't letting up.</p><p>"No," Neela admitted. He placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look him in the eyes.</p><p>"It's okay to be off," Orin informed her. "We're all here for you, though I'm sure that your family and teammates have told you that more times than you can count. There are a lot of fish in the sea… or even just this pond." Neela nodded her head and sighed.</p><p>"I know… it's just…" Neela stammered. "Tonight's the dance…"</p><p>
  <em>It's not every dance that I can say I was the date of the most beautiful girl in school!</em>
</p><p>"Last year I went with Elli," Neela finished.</p><p>"And this year you can go alone!" Orin announced proudly for her. "You're an independent woman! Go! Have fun! Enjoy the company of the friends you've made! Be yourself! Let your mind wander for a bit, you know? And if you get really desperate, I guess I can spare a dance." He winked at her. She chuckled and waved him off, nodding as she thought about what he said.</p><p>"You know I'm not into guys, right?" She reminded him. He cocked his hip.</p><p>"I'm not either, but we're both still young," he informed her. She laughed.</p><p>"I'll try and show up for a bit," She told him.</p><p>"And I'll look forward to seeing you, madam," he bowed as he gracefully dismissed himself from the conversation.</p><hr/><p>"How are we already this far into the first quarter?" Cobalt asked as he straightened his bow tie, entering the dance hall and talking to no one in particular, or at least, that was to say, he was speaking to Lykos and Bái but neither of the two of them were actually listening to him. "It feels like just a few paragraphs ago I was waxing nostalgic about our first mission of the year. I was there. The two of you were there… speaking of which, where is Tawney? I know that she didn't want to get dressed up with us there, but I really didn't think putting on her beanie would take this long. Am I right?!"</p><p>"No one is listening," Lykos told him.</p><p>"Do you guys ever listen to me?" Cobalt inquired.</p><p>"When you say something worth listening to," Bái informed him. He nodded.</p><p>"Fair," Cobalt noted. "That is fair."</p><p>"Who the hell is that?" asked some Atlesian student near Cobalt.</p><p>"Does she go here?" answered a Vale student. Cobalt turned around to see Tawney wearing a black dress was plain and almost looked more like an oversized t-shirt that came down to her knees, with boots that rose up to meet it. Dark makeup accented her eyes and she looked pale, but it appeared as though it wasn't by choice and more of a reaction to all of the unexpected attention. Cobalt's jaw slacked as he moved to compliment his teammate before someone caught him by the arm and dragged him away.</p><p>"It's been a while," Yvonne told him, taking his attention off of Tawney entirely, Yvonne's outfit leaving far less to the imagination than anyone else's. Her plunging v-neck on the black sequence dress she wore revealed more cleavage than most standard bikinis would at the beach, and the slit up her leg came far enough up to her hip that it was well evident she had opted to go pantieless, leaving him to wonder which door she'd snuck in through to make sure that the teachers hadn't kicked her out right away. "What do you say we just leave straight away and get down to business? I abstained last night to make sure we'd have something really special to look forward to tonight."</p><p>"It sounds like a great idea, but I think we should at least stay and enjoy ourselves for a while, right? We had to get tickets to get in here," Cobalt pointed out. She rolled her eyes and walked away.</p><p>"Come get me when you're ready to go, I'll be by the punch," she groaned. Cobalt stammered, debating chasing her before shaking his head. If she couldn't wait, that wasn't his problem. He'd come to enjoy himself, and he would.</p><p>"Where's the woman?" Titus asked, passing by Cobalt. He looked regal in his military outfit, and with Natalia wearing hers as well, something akin to Winter's uniform, the two of them made a perfect match.</p><p>"She's uh… getting punch… You meant Yvonne, right?" Cobalt questioned.</p><p>"Who else would I mean?" Titus questioned, Natalia held onto his arm which he presented to her.</p><p>"Right," Cobalt sighed. He perked up slightly and jabbed Titus in the shoulder. "Hey, are the two of you going to salsa, or flamenco, or whatever the hell it was you did last year?" Natalia looked at Titus who cast her a side glance.</p><p>"You ballroom danced with another girl?" Natalia prodded.</p><p>"I may have," Titus offered.</p><p>"It couldn't have been one of the Vale kids," Natalia assumed. "No offense." Cobalt waved her off.</p><p>"Pfft. It's all good," he insisted.</p><p>"Do you remember Camellia?" Titus answered.</p><p>"What was Admon's sister doing here?" Natalia pried.</p><p>"Long story," Titus sighed. Natalia laughed.</p><p>"Oh, we totally need to do it then," Natalia insisted.</p><p>"Are you sure you haven't forgotten any of the steps?" Titus jested.</p><p>"I'm about to make you eat those words," Natalia ragged on him as they left the area.</p><p>"Cobalt, looking good!" Ivory called out as she approached him. She wore a silver sequined dress that gave Yvonne's a run for its money, showing even more of her chest and legs than her teammate's.</p><p>"You too…" he droned a bit as he stared. "You ever play Azur Lane?"</p><p>"No, why do you ask?" She questioned.</p><p>"No reason…" Cobalt slurred. He shook his head. "So, uh, Vin here with Ilia?"</p><p>"Yeah," Ivory answered, spreading her wings and letting them stretch. She wrapped herself in them. "Think she'll like my dress."</p><p>"I think anyone with a sex drive would," he muttered. "I'll let you know if I see them."</p><p>"Thanks," she smiled. "Where's Yvonne?"</p><p>"At the punch bowl," Cobalt relayed. She nodded in thanks and left him alone again. "Isn't there anybody else you could follow around for a bit?"</p><p>
  <em>No, I think we're fine.</em>
</p><p>"Cobalt!" Ilia called out and ran into him. She wore the same thing as last year, Vin standing close by as if an animal waiting to pounce at anything that might try and take his prey from him. He also seemed on edge, almost as though he was just as desperate to leave as immediately as Yvonne was. "Where's Yvonne?"</p><p>"She's at the punch bowl," Cobalt groaned, growing tired of being asked the same thing. Ilia glanced over towards Ivory and Yvonne, offering a smile to Cobalt.</p><p>"You clean up nice by the way," Ilia told him. He smirked.</p><p>"Thanks," He replied. "I think I'll have a little more fun once I get out there and start dancing."</p><p>"Is Titus planning on putting on a show again?" Ilia pried. Cobalt nodded.</p><p>"Oh yeah," Cobalt confirmed. "When the man knows what he's doing, he likes to flaunt it." Ilia chuckled and looked at Vin.</p><p>"I'm going to go say hi to Titus, okay?" She informed him. Vin kissed her.</p><p>"I'll be there in a moment," Vin assured her. She nodded and left, leaving Vin with Cobalt.</p><p>"Don't tell me I get a kiss too," Cobalt jested.</p><p>"Have you seen Xavier here?" Vin blatantly asked. Cobalt looked Vin over.</p><p>"This isn't a good look on you," Cobalt stated.</p><p>"I want him to back off of her," Vin replied flatly.</p><p>"He asked to walk her home, bro!" Cobalt defended Xavier.</p><p>"His buddy said it was more than that," Vin growled.</p><p>"And his buddy seems like an idiot, and it takes one to know one," Cobalt added. "You need to let this drop and you need to give Ilia some slack. The girl who has trust issues isn't going to cheat, though it's starting to feel like you're the one with trust issues."</p><p>"I just…" Vin seethed before exhaling and relaxing. "She seems amazing. I don't want to lose her."</p><p>"Then give her a little space," Cobalt repeated. "I feel you man, but you've got to trust her." Vin nodded.</p><p>"I'm trying," Vin stated. "You sure there's nothing going on with Xavier?"</p><p>"One hundred percent," Cobalt insisted. Vin nodded.</p><p>"Okay," Vin replied. He patted Cobalt on the shoulder and left for Ilia. "Thanks."</p><p>"So no kiss then!?" Cobalt shouted after him. He looked around and shrugged. "Guess I go find Tawney now." He acknowledged Yin and Xavier entering the hall, neither of them real dressed up as they shared a fist bump and looked around.</p><p>"Didn't strobe lights die years ago at these things?" Yin asked. "I'd like to see the girl that I'm dancing with, especially if we go back to the room and bump uglies."<br/>"Orin will kill you," Xavier reminded him. Yin laughed loudly.</p><p>"Not our room, I'm not suicidal," Yin cackled. "Lot of girls here from out of town. Some cute underclassmen girls too."</p><p>"Yin…" Xavier began.</p><p>"I'm not naming any names," Yin denied.</p><p>"You implied it," Xavier remarked. Yin waved him off and stared out across the floor at Ilia.</p><p>"You have to admit she's something to look at," Yin said. Xavier followed Yin's eyes to Ilia, her smile and eyes lighting up as she laughed at something Titus said. Sure, Xavier could say that he was sexually attracted to her, but that by itself was shallow. It was easy to say someone was visually appealing, but how well did he actually know her? He could flirt with the idea of them being together, but was that really any better than lusting after her? All of it was better left to his imagination, she had a boyfriend, for one, and Yin was right, there were a lot of girls there from out of town.</p><p>"Let's find us some women then," Xavier agreed. Yin looked at him and slugged him in the shoulder.</p><p>"Let's go, X!" Yin declared. More students flowed in, somewhere amidst the crowd was Apophis, Honey, and Lueur.</p><p>"This is amazing!" Honey declared as she twirled in her prom style, ballroom dress, throwing her hands out and forcing the people around her to move out of the way. "Look at all the people! There are way more students here than I imagined there would be! And I love this song! Are you excited, Lueur?!" Lueur was distracted in her mermaid dress, she had already made her way across the room, head tilted as her tail wagged happily, eyes wide as she stared at the desserts and punch they had sitting out.</p><p>"A new cutie?" Yvonne asked taking a step out from behind the table where she'd been scoping out a potential partner to leave with her right away.</p><p>"She's taken!" Honey laughed nervously as she sped over. "Sorry about that."</p><p>"Perhaps then I can be of interest to both of you?" Yvonne suggested. Honey didn't understand what she meant, looking at her in confusion as Apophis came by, shaking his head and pushing the two girls along.</p><p>"They're fine, thanks," Apophis stated.</p><p>"What did she mean?" Honey whispered to him.</p><p>"I'll explain later," Apophis promised as Lueur rolled her eyes, making a circle with her pointer and thumb before inserting the pointer on her opposite hand.</p><p>"Really?!" Honey shouted. Lueur nodded. "What the hell?! She's a dude?" Apophis and Lueur looked at each other before facepalming.</p><p>"No…" Apophis groaned. They joined everyone else who was spreading out through the building, catching a glimpse of Titus and Natalia who were sharing a dance on one of the balconies outside.</p><p>"You really do still remember every move," Natalia jested, impressed with him.</p><p>"You know I'm dedicated," he chuckled. "When I set my mind to something and I learn it, it's then a part of me."</p><p>"But that was kind of the problem with Admon, wasn't it?" Natalia asked. Titus looked away but she turned his gaze back upon her, gently gripping his chin. "That's in the past now."</p><p>"I said things that hurt you," Titus recalled. She kissed him on the lips with authority.</p><p>"I knew you'd come back around," Natalia remarked, smiling. "Someone must have really done a number on you for you to open up to me again this quickly."</p><p>"That was Eliana," Titus laughed.</p><p>"Do you think she'll come back?" Natalia questioned. "I saw Neela fight in the tournament last year, she's a completely different person without that girl."</p><p>"She will," Titus offered optimistically.</p><p>"How did you logically come to that conclusion," She inquired. Titus smirked.</p><p>"I didn't," he told her. "I feel it. She's just too happy go lucky, and what she did was far too insignificant to mar their relationship." She looked astonished as they finished their dance and drew applause. The two of them bowed.</p><p>"Are you sure you're the same boy I left a few years ago?" She questioned. He waved her off.</p><p>"Better than last year!" Ilia declared running up with Vin.</p><p>"Thanks to me!" Natalia announced.</p><p>"You have to show us how to dance like that at some point!" Ilia demanded. Titus smirked as he looked at Vin.</p><p>"Sure," Titus agreed.</p><p>"Doesn't that sound like fun?" Ilia asked. Vin smiled and nodded.</p><p>"Yeah," he concurred, giving her a quick kiss. Natalia and Titus looked at each other. He seemed to be lightening up since the incident with…</p><p>"X in the house!" Yin shouted as the two of them stepped out onto the balcony.</p><p>"You have to stop announcing me every time we enter a room," Xavier scolded him, waving to the four of them in the room. "Hey everybody." Vin wrapped his arm around Ilia.</p><p>"The two of you came alone?" Titus asked. Yin waved him off.</p><p>"Pfft, no. Natalia is standing right there and Orin is flirting with women… somewhere…" Yin corrected him. Titus nodded slowly.</p><p>"Totally what I meant," Titus agreed. Natalia laughed, hanging off of his arm. Ilia pointed across the room, noting Lykos and Bái slow dancing.</p><p>"They really just hit it off, didn't they?" Ilia asked with a smile. Titus looked at Ilia for a long moment. Despite the fact that she didn't talk about it much, on her worst days recently, Ilia was similar to Neela on her best. Wandering around, worrying about whoever was coming for her from her past, stressed by Vin breathing down her neck, upset that Neela and Eliana were having issues. He could tell she was trying hard to keep her mind occupied.</p><p>"They aren't without their own obstacles," Titus assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he led Natalia back into the building. Ilia nodded and let out a deep breath. She was sure she wasn't thinking about Eliana as much as Neela was, but with all of their friends in one place, it was hard not to miss her.</p><p>"The moon has to be lonely, right?" Vin asked as he ushered her to the edge of the balcony and Xavier crept out while Yin was distracted, his friend chasing after him a few seconds later. Ilia laughed and shook her head. Damn… she had met him a whole year ago, hadn't she? There was no man that she'd come to trust more in a long time than Vin, with the exception of Titus. She kissed him gently on the lips.</p><p>"You remember when we first met?" Ilia inquired. Vin rubbed his neck and shrugged, blushing slightly.</p><p>"I did use that line a lot," he chuckled. He looked out at the moon beside her. "I'm sorry. That I've been acting like an ass recently." She gave him a double-take.</p><p>"Oh really?" She asked. "What brought this on?"</p><p>"Actually, I talked with Cobalt," Vin admitted. Ilia rolled her eyes and scoffed.</p><p>"Now I know you're messing with me," Ilia groaned.</p><p>"I'm serious," Vin replied, taking her hands. "I don't want to lose you. I know there's nothing going on with you and Xavier, I just overreacted."</p><p>"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" She asked, the fact that he was acting the way she felt he should made her nervous.</p><p>"I am," he chuckled. "I'm serious. I know you were hurt in the past. I don't want to be another guy that does that to you." She nodded, a weight lifting off of her that had been there since the night they came from taking down Quake.</p><p>"Thank you," she mouthed, kissing him.</p><p>"So, should we dance?" He asked. She laughed.</p><p>"That is what we came here to do," she noted.</p><p>They headed into the dance hall as Eren arrived just ahead of Neela, her mind unable to shake the last time she was here for a dance. Images of Eliana filled her head. Their dance. Everyone praising the two of them over how amazing they looked… and she'd chosen to wear the same dress… this wasn't working, it wasn't taking her mind off of Eliana at all.</p><p>"You made it!" Orin called to her as he approached and offered to escort her out onto the floor with his arm. She nodded and looked him over, he really didn't look any different than any other day that she saw him, but she guessed that was part of his charm, the man was always dressed to the nines. "Just stay for a short while. I need to discuss something with Xavier and Yin briefly, but I'll return." Neela nodded.</p><p>"I can try for you," Neela noted, folding her arms and looking generally uncomfortable. Orin frowned.</p><p>"I'm sorry. I'll be right back," He insisted. He left, Neela somehow felt every eye on her as the floor seemed to grow darker and larger, everything threatened her sense of security as she stood there awkwardly, hearing voices that weren't actually there, insisting that her confession was the reason that Eliana had left. Neela shook, closing her eyes and trying to ignore them, but the voice was coming from within her own head and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand it. Someone reached out and gently touched her shoulder knowingly, her first instinct being Titus, but she knew he was off with Natalia, so she was sure it was Orin. She opened her eyes, shocked slightly to find Rowan standing in front of her with a glass of punch, his smile soft as he admired her eyes.</p><p>"You okay, Neela?" He asked. She looked at him for a long moment in confusion before nodding. "I just wanted to check on you. You looked a little stressed and us Faunus need to watch out for one another, you know? The punch is great, by the way. Try focusing on the taste rather than all of the extra information invading your senses, it works for me normally." She stared hard at the solo cup before looking back up at him and nodding.</p><p>"Thanks, Rowan," she graciously accepted it.</p><p>"I'd love a dance later if you're up to it," Rowan insisted with a wink before leaving back towards the food tables. She shook her head with a sigh and sipped the punch lightly. It did taste amazing, better than what they'd had the last year. She drank the rest back in a single swig, feeling her nerves ease a bit as she looked around the room. She could do this. She could pull it together. Eren bumped into her in a rush on accident as more people poured in, apologizing profusely to her.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Eren told her. "You okay?" Neela nodded and chuckled.</p><p>"I'm fine," Neela replied. "Surprised you talked to me." She laughed. Eren wondered for a brief moment if he actually was that antisocial before continuing through the crowd to Orin.</p><p>"We have a problem," Eren told him. Orin exited his current conversation before stepping aside with Eren.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Orin questioned.</p><p>"I overheard Rowan and Soya discussing something about Neela," Eren answered. Orin sighed.</p><p>"Alright, about what?" Orin groaned.</p><p>"Rowan drugged her punch," Eren stated. Orin stiffened and grabbed Eren by the shoulders.</p><p>"Are you certain that's what you heard?!" Orin demanded.</p><p>"Yeah, and some other bullshit about getting back at her for beating Soya last year at the tournament," Eren explained. Orin dropped him. "Don't mention I told you!" Orin ignored the last statement, crashing through the other students to reach Neela, gripping her by the wrist and escorting her off of the dance floor and out of the building towards the dorms.</p><p>"Orin, you came back," she stated, her speech slightly slurred. His pulse quickened, how potent was her drink?</p><p>"I know I asked you to come to the dance, but I think it's time for you to go back to the room," he informed her.</p><p>"Okay," she agreed. "That sounds good to me." She was silent for most of the rest of the trip, people giving them the occasional strange look as he dragged her along. "Hey, where are we going?"</p><p>"Back to the room. Everything's fine," Orin told her again. "Just a little further, okay?"</p><p>"Trying to get me alone?" She giggled.</p><p>"No, Neela," He asserted. "Everything's good, I just think it's better if you stay in your room. I'm sorry." Was this his fault for convincing her to go? No, he wasn't the one who drugged her, he wasn't the one at fault. After several attempts he managed to coax her onto the elevator, getting her into her room after trying to snatch the keys from her multiple times. He finally managed to coerce her into the room where she flopped down onto the bed and laughed.</p><p>"I think you were trying to get me alone," she insisted.</p><p>"It's not like that," Orin parroted, watching down the hall for Rowan or Soya.</p><p>"Come lay next to me," she pleaded.</p><p>"No, Neela," he denied her request.</p><p>"Okay," she replied in a moment that he thought indicated some level of sobriety. "You're not leaving, are you? I've been lonely a lot recently." Orin looked at her for a long moment before locking her door and stepping into the room. He pulled up one of the seats to her bed and sat next to her.</p><p>"I'll stay for a bit, until you fall asleep," he assured her. She cheered.</p><p>"Yay!" She celebrated. She rolled over, turning away from him as she sighed happily and snuggled against her covers. Orin shook his head, he'd sit here all night if he had to until that creep showed up. He was going to give Rowan a piece of his mind. After a few minutes, Orin began fiddling around with his scroll and quickly grew bored of it, but whenever he tried to move from the chair to find a laptop or something around the room Neela would panic, so he just sat there in silence. The boredom of his own thoughts overwhelmed him and at some point, he passed out, not sure how long he was asleep for but alarmingly aware of something when he awoke. Neela had mounted his lap and was trying to wake him.</p><p>"Neela!" He stammered.</p><p>"Come on," she whispered into his ear. "Don't act like this isn't what you wanted." Orin's mind raced and his body betrayed him. He was a heterosexual male, of course, in the back of his mind, this option had existed, but not like this, and not with her. That wasn't to say he wasn't attracted to her… but she was meant to be with Eliana. There was no denying it, the look in Neela's eyes when she spoke to her best friend back on the day they'd met at the tournament.</p><p>"We can't do this," he protested.</p><p>"Why not?" She pried, fumbling with the top button of his shirt.</p><p>"Neela," he stated.</p><p>"I've never done it before, you know? But why not. We're in academy, it's what we do, right?" She questioned.</p><p>"You're not in the right mind, Neela," he explained trying to remove her, but she straddled his lap with all the force that she might with someone in a headlock.</p><p>"You talk too much," she said. She moved in quickly to try and kiss him but he placed two fingers to her lips and did the only thing he could think of.</p><p>"I'm gay!" He shouted at her. She stared at him for a long moment.</p><p>"What?" She asked.</p><p>"I'm gay," he repeated. She shook her head slowly.</p><p>"That's…" She slurred. "That's not what you said to me earlier today."</p><p>"I lied for the sake of a joke, I'm sorry," he apologized. She sat there confused for a long moment before nodding her head and climbing off of him.</p><p>"No… I'm sorry… Something… I feel kind of foggy," Neela stated.</p><p>"Drink some water," he instructed. "I'll wait outside of your door in case you need anything." He gave her a nod as he straightened his slacks and tuxedo, stepping into the hallway and closing the door behind him, making sure that it was still locked. He heard a hearty chuckle come from down the corridor and spotted Rowan who was stumbling towards him.</p><p>"Well, what do we have here?" Rowan questioned as he came closer. "Taking advantage of my hard work, huh?"</p><p>"Had a few to drink?" Orin inquired.</p><p>"What's it to you?" Rowan argued trying to push past him. "Neela still owes me a dance."</p><p>"I can dance in her stead," Orin assured him. Rowan staggered back and tilted his head.</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Rowan asked. Orin planted his feet before flapping his wings with excess force, launching himself down the hall at Rowan, his fist crashing into the creep's jaw as they grappled each other and crashed through the wall and into the night. "You think you're better than me?"</p><p>"I know I am," Orin shouted, taking them both to the ground as fast as his wings could muster, planting Rowan hard and leaving an imprint as he bounced off, his aura taking a massive hit. He rolled out of the way, blocking his face as Orin came in with another swing, opting to nail him in the gut instead.</p><p>"Must have been really good if you're fighting this hard," Rowan jested. Orin was usually level-headed, if nothing else, the Atlas military had taught him how to keep his cool. However, he was now being blinded with rage and his mind was made up that as long as he didn't flat out murder Rowan, that Glynda would forgive him in the morning after the dust settled.</p><p>"You were willing to ruin this girl's life, just for a little bit of sex?" Orin questioned. Another blow to Rowan's stomach and his aura crackled again before he felt himself sobering, blocking the next blow as he spread his own wings and dragged Orin across the ground.</p><p>"Cut the chivalrous bullshit!" Rowan shouted. "You would do the same thing for an easy lay!" Their antics took them to the RWBY statue, splitting it in half, the explosion of stone enough to allow Orin to break free, the two of them clashing in the middle as water sprayed everywhere, both fists meeting the other's jaw at the same moment.</p><p>"And yet, Neela and I didn't do anything," Orin corrected. He ducked a second blow, removing his scroll momentarily before tossing it away.</p><p>"Let's see in the morning just how many people saw you leave quickly with Neela, practically dragging her out, right?" Rowan remarked. "I hope you enjoyed your time here at Beacon!"</p><p>"You disgust me," Orin grunted, catching his fist several times in a row before tossing him away.</p><p>"Do I seem like a guy who cares?" Rowan asked. Orin licked his finger and placed it in the air, as if noting the direction of the wind, frustrating Rowan who stumbled towards him, missing blow after blow. "Reading my mind? Can't face me like a man?"</p><p>"If you want to be treated like a man you should act like one," Orin informed him. His locker crashed down between the two of them, forcing Rowan to dive out of the way as he removed his weapon, slowly marching towards Rowan with a grin planted firmly across his lips, unnerving Rowan.</p><p>"This isn't going to help your case!" Rowan shouted at him, panicking.</p><p>"I'm not the one who drugged her," Orin stated calmly.</p><p>"So what if I drugged her?! You keep coming back to that! Yeah, I drugged her! Is that what you wanted to hear?! I was going to bone her until you came along you damn saint!" Rowan yelled at him. Orin stopped in his tracks and moved back to his locker.</p><p>"Good enough for me," Orin informed him. "I don't even need to hear an apology."</p><p>"You really are a nutcase!" Rowan declared charging him.</p><p>"You do know that my semblance is a telepathic link, right?" Orin inquired, ignoring him.</p><p>"And?!" Rowan roared inches from Orin as another fist slammed into his ribs and sent him sprawling. He tumbled away, regaining his wits and squinting back towards Orin. "There's two of you?!"</p><p>"No, dumbass," Ivory shouted at him charging him. "If we don't kill you, you better hope for a suspension."</p><p>"Where is he?" Asked Titus who was followed by more people who had followed him out from the dance.</p><p>"I'll take care of him," Ivory informed them. "I'm only going to break a few of his bones on the way back to Vale."</p><p>"Ivory, listen," he stuttered. She threw a haymaker that landed square on his jaw, breaking his aura and knocking him out.</p><p>"I'm sorry," she told them as she grappled him and flew off into the night.</p><p>"It's not her fault," Orin clarified.</p><p>"If you don't tell Glynda, I'm going to," Titus informed Orin. Orin nodded at him and Nat.</p><p>"I'll make sure she knows," Orin declared. Ilia and Vin raced by, Vin sprinting ahead of her fast enough that she couldn't keep up.</p><p>"I need to have some 'words' with Rowan," Vin told her. "I'll see you tomorrow!"</p><p>"Okay!" Ilia called out.</p><p>"I heard Soya had something to do with this too," Orin noted to Titus. Titus clenched his fist.</p><p>"She's always getting away with things like this," Titus murmured.</p><p>"How?" Natalia questioned.</p><p>"Since the Bái incident, she has others do her dirty work so that she can't be held responsible," Titus explained.</p><p>"She sounds like a piece of work," Natalia observed.</p><p>"She is," Orin added. Titus sighed.</p><p>"This seems like a new low, even for her," Titus offered.</p><p>"I'm sure when Coco hears what Rowan tried doing to Neela, they won't rest until the two of them receive some kind of punishment," Orin left them with as he sent his locker back from whence it came and headed back for the dorms.</p><p>"Orin! Have you seen Yvonne?" Cobalt asked out of breath. "Wait, how did I end up on this end of the conversation?"</p><p>"Can't say that I have," Orin irritatedly answered. Cobalt stepped back and sighed, nodding at him.</p><p>"Okay, thanks," Cobalt told him as he kept heading for the dorms. Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around to find himself face to face with Tawney. "Tawney!"</p><p>"Been ignoring me, asshole?" She questioned.</p><p>"I wasn't ignoring you! I've been trying to come find you and tell you how amazing you look, but every time I try and make my way to you someone shows up and is like 'Hey, where's Yvonne?' and I'm like 'Hey, I don't know!'" He shouted before catching his breath. "It's been a long night. You do look amazing though, honestly."</p><p>"I thought you were going to leave Yvonne?" Tawney reminded him. He nodded and frowned, ignoring eye contact.</p><p>"I'm just a nobody, right?" Cobalt offered.</p><p>"What are you saying?" Tawney asked.</p><p>"I'm not interesting. You all think I'm annoying. I just… the fact that a girl like her would even give me the time of day," Cobalt ranted. "It was too good to be true. I'm sure she probably ran off with some first year. Another one of her conquests, as her teammates like to say. It was just nice to feel wanted, but hey, it can't last forever, right? Doesn't matter, I'll just chin up, go back to breaking the fourth wall, and…" Tawney shut him up with a kiss on the lips that came completely out of left field and left him there speechless.</p><p>"Don't think about it too hard, heat of the moment," Tawney shouted at him. He nodded slowly, unable to see how red her face was in the dark. <em>He's so damn hard on himself! Did I really just kiss him?! What was that?! </em>Tawney was taking a moment herself to process it. "You want to bail like we did last year?" Cobalt stared at the ground and nodded, mind fried.</p><p>"Sure," he agreed as they left. <em>This was just </em><em>another one of his fantasies, right</em><em>?</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next week, Eliana has a date?! Chapter 30: Epiphany!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Epiphany</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eliana has a date!?!?!? But will she take it seriously?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Do you really think that a two-week suspension is enough for what he did?!" Blake shouted at Glynda who stared right through her at Coco who entered her office and closed the door behind her.</p><p>"Emerald stopped a couple of kids that were drinking during the dance last night," Coco told her as she handed the paperwork to Glynda, the older woman taking them and looking them over as Blake slammed her fists on her desk.</p><p>"Glynda!" Blake yelled.</p><p>"I am not underplaying the severity of what happened last night by any means, but I feel that you are too close to the victim to think about what I've laid out as corrective action logically," Glynda repeated herself. "It is his first offense, but that's not to say that it doesn't merit punishing, and expelling him isn't going to help him overall, or the school as a whole. He will be suspended from classes for two weeks, in addition to several months of community service, several additional months of counseling, and behavioral therapy. His team has been fined extensively as well as demoted in the ranks among their peers. I have warned Vincent that if any of his other teammates, or Rowan, behave in a similar manner, that I will not hesitate to end their permit for studying abroad early."</p><p>"It has to be enough," Coco agreed. "Cause trust me… I tried for more." Blake sighed and shook her head as she looked out the window and over the school grounds.</p><p>"If he tries something like that again he'll have Yang to answer to," Blake assured them. She watched as Neela walked from the dorm to the cafeteria. "And I won't stop her."</p><p>"I won't either," Glynda offered. Blake nodded as her daughter looked frantic, rushing towards the lunchroom where she threw the doors open.</p><p>"You okay?" Ilia asked rushing her as soon as she entered, Vin a few steps behind her to allow them some room.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine," Neela said nodding to her. "I actually wanted to talk to Orin and thank him. I had a good night's sleep, and I really don't remember what happened all that well. A really refreshing night's sleep, actually."</p><p>"I'm sorry about Rowan," Vin added. "I know that's hardly enough."</p><p>"Well, I was kept out of harm's way, so it's not too big of a deal, but it's not your fault," Neela informed him.</p><p>"You sure you're fine?" Titus asked, grabbing her by the shoulders. Neela nodded, looking him in the eyes.</p><p>"Yeah, I promise," she told him. Titus nodded back to her.</p><p>"If anything's wrong, you tell us. Ivory ran off with Rowan last night before I could have words with him," Titus informed her. Neela made air quotes.</p><p>"Words," Neela parroted. They laughed.</p><p>"I wanted a few 'words' too," Natalia seethed.</p><p>"Hey," Orin said as he returned from the kitchen with his food and spotted Neela.</p><p>"Can we talk?" Neela asked him. Orin nodded, setting his platter down and following her out of the building to the back of the building.</p><p>"Everything okay?" He checked. She nodded and brushed her hair out of her face.</p><p>"How bad was it?" Neela questioned.</p><p>"I'm just glad I was there to keep you from getting into trouble," Orin informed her.</p><p>"I vaguely remember you telling me you were gay," Neela admitted. "You're not, are you?" He shook his head.</p><p>"No," he affirmed. Neela blushed.</p><p>"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I wasn't me last night." He looked her directly in the eyes.</p><p>"Like I said, I'm just glad I was there last night to make sure that nothing happened," Orin repeated.</p><p>"I don't know how to thank you," she sheepishly informed him. He smiled softly at her.</p><p>"You can thank me by getting better," he replied. "And I don't mean stronger. We need to get you back in the right headspace so that you can get back on the top of the second years." Neela smiled back.</p><p>"I'll try," she informed him.</p><p>"Things were looking up, weren't they?" Orin inquired. "What happened?"</p><p>
  <em>As soon as I get out of the shower with her I will!</em>
</p><p>"I'd rather not talk about it," Neela stated.</p><hr/><p>"Dating?" Eliana questioned as she checked her hair over in the mirror and looked herself over. "Yeah, I have a date tonight actually… Hey, mom, who told you that I was dating someone?"</p><p>"Just a rumor going around Beacon," Violet replied over the scroll.</p><p>"I mean, it's a single date, not that big of a deal really," Eliana explained. Desirae shook her head before turning back to her school work, Asher entering the room and throwing down his bag of gym clothes. "I have to go, mom, she's going to be ready soon, and then I'll be leaving. I love you!"</p><p>"Love you too!" Her mother's voice came over the phone before they hung up.</p><p>"How do I look?" Eliana asked as she gave a slight twirl, her little black dress hugged her body tight, putting her best asset on full display.</p><p>"How do the girls breathe in that?" Desirae asked with a devilish grin. Eliana adjusted herself slightly and crossed her arms.</p><p>"They breathe just fine, thanks," Eliana reassured her.</p><p>"Sure," Desirae agreed with an eye roll.</p><p>"Who are you going out with?" Asher questioned.</p><p>"Fade," Eliana replied without skipping a beat, causing Asher to come to a dead stop in the middle of his routine. "I didn't feel like I did enough to thank her for getting me a meeting with Sterling, so I agreed to go on a date with her. It's harmless."</p><p>"Nothing with Fade is harmless," Asher grumbled.</p><p>"Hm?" Eliana questioned.</p><p>"Nevermind," Asher spoke up.</p><p>"Let them have their fun," Desirae insisted. "I don't think she's as bad about Eliana as she was the two of us." Eliana looked at Desirae for a long moment before Desirae simply shrugged.</p><p>"What does that mean?" Eliana inquired. Desirae leapt to her feet and joined Eliana in front of the mirror.</p><p>"It means you two are going to have fun!" Desirae exclaimed.</p><p>"Yeah," Eliana said as if deciding on having fun as an afterthought. "Yeah! Yeah, we are!"</p><p>"That's the spirit!" Desirae declared. Eliana looked herself over one last time, it was the same dress that she'd worn to the dance the year before.</p><p>
  <em>It's not every dance that I can say I was the date of the most beautiful girl in school!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But it could have been if you hadn't hurt her…</em>
</p><p>Eliana inhaled deeply. If only she had just told Neela to begin with that Athena had her mom. None of this had to happen… but it was too late to change it…</p><p>"Well, well. Lucky me," Fade said entering the room from the bathroom. She wore a dress that looked like it was designer, probably more than Eliana would ever make in her life, detailed with actual Dust crystals, and flowed several feet behind her, clinging to her curves. "You left me breathless."</p><p>"You look amazing too!" Eliana replied. She meant it, to say that Fade didn't look astounding would have been a lie.</p><p>"I always look amazing!" Fade declared for them all to hear and validate her.</p><p>"Someone is feeling herself tonight!" Desirae cheered.</p><p>"More like is full of herself," Asher sighed.</p><p>"What was that?!" Fade bit.</p><p>"Nothing," he replied with a fake grin.</p><p>"That's what I thought," Fade smiled back before taking Eliana's arm. "Best we get on our way. The night is young, and the restaurant is waiting!"</p><p>"Hopefully it isn't too pricey," Eliana chuckled nervously. Fade waved her off.</p><p>"I rented the whole place out, a bistro on the top level of the city. My treat!" Fade declared happily, quite proud of herself despite the guilt that overwhelmed Eliana.</p><p>"That seems unnecessary," Eliana mentioned.</p><p>"Nonsense," Fade insisted. "I want a moment alone." Her eyes flickered with glee. "Just the two of us." They left the room and as the door closed behind them Asher moved to the closet and began tossing clothes out onto the bed.</p><p>"What are you doing?" Desirae asked.</p><p>"We have to follow them," Asher mentioned. Desirae stood up quickly and moved to him, frantically trying to stop him.</p><p>"I'm sure that she's fine!" Desirae maintained.</p><p>"You don't believe that!" Asher shouted at her. They stopped for a long moment and maintained eye contact. "She doesn't deserve to end up like this! Feeling like she needs to grovel at Fade's feet! She left this behind once before, and if we don't do something now Fade might not ever let her back out!"</p><p>"We're not stuck here!" Desirae yelled desperately.</p><p>"Aren't we?" Asher questioned. Desirae stopped. "I'm not trying to say that you can't be happy here by any means, I want you to be the same cheerful you as always, but you know that until we've graduated, there's no escaping Fade. We'd both end up back at the bottom, clawing through refuse and over other people just for enough food to get us to the next day!"</p><p>"But we should be grateful that she saved us!" Desirae continued denying her situation. Asher sighed.</p><p>"I am grateful, but you have to admit she played us," Asher asked her to question, placing a hand on her shoulder. Desirae tried to brush him off, but he was right, wasn't he?</p><p>"Then…" Desirae stumbled over her words.</p><p>"Eliana doesn't need saving," Asher pointed out as he returned to sifting through the closet.</p><p>"Why would she trap Eliana here with us?" Desirae thought as she moved to help him out.</p><p>"Because Eliana is the only thing she's come across at this point that she wants, but just won't give in," Asher concluded.</p><p>"So your dad was on the force, right?" Fade asked Eliana. Eliana nodded as she looked down at the pasta before her. The idea of squid ink infused with the noodles didn't put her off as much as the idea that it was probably something that she could never afford to eat on her own finances alone. She twirled it at the end of her fork for a moment, she could feel Fade's gaze never leaving her and she gave her a shy smile, wondering why the other girl insisted on drinking her in so unabashedly. What was the question again? Wasn't this something she mentioned before? It had been a long and uncomfortable awkward silence, she was probably just doing her best to make small talk to break it up.</p><p>"He was one of the best," Eliana noted. "There wasn't a night that he wouldn't come home from work and have some kind of crazy story for me and mom. It didn't matter if he took down one of the criminals on the most wanted list, or if he took down a smaller crime lord. He always told them in the most mesmerizing ways… and I've always wanted to be a cop ever since then. I figured getting my Huntsmen license was the best first step towards that."</p><p>"My father has always had a hand in politics!" Fade stated as if trying to one-up Eliana's story. "You can imagine how that went to make us filthy rich! I don't think it's dirty money, but I guess after it passes from one person to the next it was probably dirty at some point anyway, so it doesn't matter too much. And he spoiled me rotten with it, guilty as charged! Mom used to tell him that maybe he should slow down with his spending but… Well, after the accident that killed her, no one was there to tell him no anymore!"</p><p>"What happened to your mother?" Eliana inquired. "If you don't mind me asking."</p><p>"I don't like to talk about it," Fade shut her down. "But what does your mother do?"</p><p>"She stays at home all day," Eliana laughed. "Dad's insurance left her with enough lien that she'd never have to work another day in her life. She likes to stay busy with little craft projects, but I think she likes talking to me the most. She says that I remind her a lot of dad. It's something I like hearing!" Eliana smiled and caught Fade staring again. She blushed, looking away, playing with her pasta once more.</p><p>"Your smile is so warm," Fade noted. Eliana felt a heat wash over her.</p><p>"Just like my dad's," she chuckled. She glanced up at Fade who was blushing as well. What was this? No… Eliana recognized this look… It was familiar…</p><p>"I can see why your mother chose to fall in love with him then," Fade stated. "If you're as much like him as you say you are."</p><p>Eliana couldn't shake this feeling. Knowing this look. Feeling something this strong from an expression that she knew too well… but from where?</p><p>
  <em>ALL YOU CAN DO NOW IS HURT PEOPLE!</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>NO! SHUT UP!</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>WHY DENY THE TRUTH?!</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I DID WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RIGHT!</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>BUT YOU COULD HAVE DONE BETTER!</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I WANT TO DO BETTER, BUT FIRST I NEED YOU TO SHUT UP!</strong>
</p><p>"Elli, I need a moment, okay?" Alex told her, patting her on the head as he moved to the next room. Eliana looked down at her hands, noting that she wasn't a child, but instead her current self, watching as her father closed the door behind him, wanting to follow him.</p><p>"Mom," her voice echoed as if a younger version of her was also calling out simultaneously.</p><p>"What is it, Elli?" Violet asked, laying a hand gently on her shoulder.</p><p>"Dad seemed… upset…" she stated quietly. Violet smiled softly, kneeling beside her daughter.</p><p>"Your father is normally very good at not letting his work affect him at home with us. He always wants to be happy for you and me when he comes home," Violet explained. "But sometimes work is so overwhelming or serious, that he needs to think about it after he finishes. Sometimes you can't just push it away."</p><p>"Will he be happy later?" Eliana questioned.</p><p>"Just because he's serious doesn't mean he isn't happy," Violet made her aware. "It's just important that he gives a little extra focus to what he's doing now. He's still your dad and he still loves you. Sometimes you'll have to focus a little harder, but you can still be happy doing it."</p><p>"Like when I help you with dinner?" Eliana asked. Violet laughed and kissed her forehead.</p><p>"Just like that," Violet assured her.</p><p>
  <strong>I CAN DO BETTER! I CAN FIX THIS!</strong>
</p><p>"I like you, Eliana," Fade told her. "I don't know how to say this…" Fade blushed harder, leaning across the small table.</p><p>
  <strong>I know this… I KNOW THIS!</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Neela reached down to pull her up, but she pulled Neela down on top of her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>How had Eliana never put two and two together before as Neela was but inches away from her smiling face? How had she never taken notice of Neela's advances, never acknowledged the heat between them as their breasts pressed against each other, faces close? Neela's breath was hot on her face, and Neela trembled with anxiety, Eliana could feel her heart racing. Neela blushed. How didn't I notice? How was it possible I couldn't tell how badly you wanted me, how desperately you wanted to tell me?</em>
</p><p>"<em>Neela?" Eliana asked looking into her eyes. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way…" Neela's breath caught in her chest. There was only the two of them, Eliana lying under her in an endless void. "I think you have beautiful eyes." Neela smiled, a knowing, comforting, warm, undoing smile that Eliana had come to know and love.</em></p><p>"<em>Elli… Elli, I…" Eliana reached up and ran her finger under Neela's braids.</em></p><p>"<em>You what, Neela?" Neela swallowed hard, this had to be the moment. If it wasn't now, it never would be!</em></p><p>
  <strong>This. This is the look.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>"Your imperfections are what makes you amazing. In a way, that makes you the perfect… you," Neela explained. "That's what your dad would have wanted. A daughter who is open, but not so much to strangers. And is happy nonstop, except when she needs to be serious. And to be honest, that's what makes you beautiful."</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>A hundred times, you gave me this look.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's pretty good, but it could be better, don't you think?" Eliana asked. Neela gave her a puzzled look as Eliana handed her the scroll. "You take the picture, you've got longer arms than I do." Neela chuckled lining up the photo as Eliana wrapped her arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek as she captured the moment. Eliana was unphased, glancing up at the image on the scroll before snatching it away and hugging Neela. "Now it's actually perfect!"</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>How many times, did you give me that look?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't think of it as a reminder of failure. Think of it as our first real fight as Team NITE. Remember how it felt to lead us into battle that night. Remember the smell of the fair and the sounds…" Eliana grabbed Neela's hands and Neela glanced down at them before looking back up into Eliana's eyes. "And the sights."</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Was I never serious enough to notice?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>"I love you, Eliana," Neela repeated looking her in the eyes. "Your constant teasing. Jokes. Telling me that you'd find somebody else. That you just wanted me to be happy. Not understanding why I was so ashamed to see you in anything less than your clothes for the last year or so. All of it. I couldn't understand how you could be so clueless. I convinced myself that maybe… that you probably don't feel the same." The pain that Eliana had felt the night before in her chest returned.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Neela hasn't found someone else.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What?" Eliana inquired again, gasping for air. "What? What are you saying?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I love you, Eliana Latherus! More than just a sister! I want to be with you! I want to grow old together! To have kids together! To stand and fight at each other's sides until the bitter end! Full of life and laughter! Where we trust each other! And love each other! To be so close to each other that we become one! That's what I mean! Like your parents loved each other! Like my parents love each other! Romantically! To be bound together until death does us part! I love you!" Neela confessed. Neela's chest heaved, out of breath as she panted, staring at Eliana who slowly realized how ignorant she'd been.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Neela's mind shifted, realizing that it hadn't been another one of her fantasies. This was it. She'd confessed. It wasn't romantic. It was awful and as much as it lifted the weight that had rested on her shoulders the entire year, telling Eliana how she really felt in light of the attempted kidnapping actually made her feel worse.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Neela…" Eliana stammered. "Neela, I…" Eliana didn't understand. Her mind wouldn't let her as a haze had set in and she couldn't see past it. The confession rang through her ears, but it didn't make sense. Neela was supposed to come down here and let her have it. She was supposed to chew her out, not tell her that she was in love with her. "Neela, I never knew…" Eliana remembered her situation and gripped the bars again. "I didn't mean to hurt you, it wasn't supposed to happen like that!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"They were right," Neela breathed heavily. "When they said you'd betray me…" Eliana's body felt heavy, crushed under the accusation as the realization of the totality of the pain she caused crept in. She reached for Neela who wrenched away.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Was I ever serious with you…?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>"I'm serious Neela. I want us to swear that no matter what happens, that we're always going to be friends." Eliana explained. "Not even death will stop us."</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I need to go back.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I need you, Neela.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I love you, Neela.</strong>
</p><p>Inches from her was Fade who was trying to move in for an impromptu kiss, Eliana reaching up to cover her mouth with her fingers as she stood slowly and took a deep breath, looking down at her feet.</p><p>"Elli?" Fade asked.</p><p>"Eliana," she corrected the girl. Fade stood up as well, heat filling her again.</p><p>"Where do you think you're going?" Fade questioned.</p><p>"I wasn't…" Eliana began before cutting herself off. "I've been putting on a happy face like I always do and I haven't been addressing what's happening around me. I didn't mean to lead you on, for me, this was just another girls' night out, you know? But I can see that you thought it was something more. I'm sorry."</p><p>"You're sorry?" Fade repeated.</p><p>"I can try and pay you back but…" Eliana began before she was thrown away, everything in the room following suit as if a shockwave had crashed through the building, and Fade was the epicenter.</p><p>"It's that Neela girl isn't it!?" Fade shouted at her. Eliana nodded slowly.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Fade. I just… I didn't mean to hurt you," Eliana told her. Fade tossed her head back, laughing unnervingly as she planted Eliana to the wall with psionic tendrils.</p><p>"You didn't hurt me!" She cackled. "Nobody hurts me anymore! No one will ever again, my mother was the first and the last!"</p><p>"Fade!" Eliana grunted. "I can't be with you!" Fade's eyes darkened and her head tilted slightly as she licked her lips and looked Eliana up and down.</p><p>"Nonsense," Fade spoke calmly. "We simply cut out the tumor!" Fade's tendrils phased into Eliana's head, ripping and tearing until the room around them shifted and crashed about, transforming into a dilapidated version of the Xiao Long household. Eliana knew what she'd found.</p><p>"Fade, this is enough!" Eliana screamed frantically.</p><p>"Shut up!" Fade yelled at her. Eliana tried to use a forcefield to free herself, but it seemed as though Fade's ability was preventing her from doing so. "I want to see what this secret is that you've been keeping from us!" Eliana closed her eyes tightly as she listened to the scene play out. "You tried kidnapping a Faunus girl? Such an easy fix! And here you've been suffering!"</p><p>"Easy fix?" Eliana inquired.</p><p>"I erase this memory, along with everything else about that Neela girl, and you'll have a brand new slate! A poor, devastated child who never moved on from her father's death. And I'll be the one to put you back together," Fade explained. She walked towards Eliana. "And then we can be together."</p><p>"Fade!" Eliana shouted at her in a panic. "Don't do this!"</p><p>"You already told me that you can't leave Neela behind," Fade calmly stated, stopping inches from Eliana. "So I have to remove her."</p><p>"Fade!" Asher yelled as he threw open the doors, Fade diverting her attention to him.</p><p>"Don't try it!" Fade exclaimed. "I'll have you knocked out faster than you can possibly use your semblance."</p><p>"I know that," Asher smirked.</p><p>"Then you came to watch?" Fade pondered annoyed.</p><p>"I did," he agreed. "But she didn't." Fade looked at him confused before turning to find Desirae standing beside her and Eliana.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Desirae insisted, touching Fade's arm, the two of them hitting the floor simultaneously as Eliana was freed from the wall. Eliana's chest heaved as she regained her wits and watched Asher approach her.</p><p>"It's a good thing we came after all," Asher noted checking on the two girls on the floor.</p><p>"What is Desirae's semblance?" Eliana asked.</p><p>"She can cancel out another person's aura entirely, but it leaves them both without an aura for roughly a week or so," he detailed. "It's actually pretty dangerous for her to do." Asher shook his head as he stood back up. "Just makes me wonder if she cut any memories out of me or Desirae."</p><p>"I can't thank you two enough," Eliana repeated over and over. He waved her off. "Why didn't Fade expect Desirae to be with you?"</p><p>"I don't think I can do the story justice, but Desirae kind of sees Fade as her savior," he explained. "Desirae would never betray her. But, here we are. Desirae knew that she had to make a decision and she did so to save a life, so to speak. They'll be back on speaking terms before you know it. They're close, even if Fade seems controlling, that's just how she is." Asher looked Eliana in the eyes. "What she tried to do to you, however, is unacceptable. Arslan will hear about this."</p><p>"Yeah…" Eliana replied, still kind of out of it. To imagine Neela being wiped from her mind… she shuddered hard. She hurt Neela. She needed to make it right. Maybe it was time to make a trip back home.</p><p>Home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry about another impromptu wait, my editor/co-author was out of town last weekend. We'll get our shit together soon. Next week (so this weekend, with any luck), Chapter 31: Visit!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Visit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Shadow and Yang head out to visit Raven's grave...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blood's heels clacked off of the pristine steel plating of one of the longer corridors of her facility, two of her men washing down an experimental room with a pressurized water hose, blood and other various contaminates swirled in the center of the empty space before being guided by gravity into the drain, the piping would then do the rest to ensure that it was transported to a holding tank that could later be dumped safely without repercussion. One of them nodded to her as she entered the room and she dismissed him, marching right past through the water to the control room which was confined behind Dust reinforced glass, checking a clipboard to find out if they were still on schedule to continue their research in that specific wing. A Manticore that afternoon, followed by a Lancer that evening. They were ahead of schedule, which usually meant something went wrong with the previous Grimm, but more often than not, it couldn't be helped.</p><p>"I don't see a single successful test on your report here!" she shouted out into the testing chamber as if they would be able to hear her over the sounds of the hose. She threw the clipboard down and ran her hands through her hair, taking a deep breath as she looked around her. Even though she had no reason to think so, time always felt as if it was running out and that any moment it could all be stripped away from her again, similar to the day that Strakh had burned down her last facility… Why did she even agree to help Abigor when she knew that the two men were in cahoots? She couldn't deny a need for lien and he provided it, all just because they wanted her to hold on to some militant who was getting a little too close for comfort in Vacuo. She didn't believe that to be the entire story, but when she began receiving payments, she knew better than to question the full reason. She had to complete her grandfather's work, and after going months without a breakthrough, she almost wondered if all hope for it was lost.</p><p>Perfecting Grimm was something that came with more trial and error than most science, as her grandfather had left very little of his results behind no thanks to his facility being destroyed at the hands of Team RWBY. She didn't understand the anatomy and composition of these creatures as much as he had, her experience had been with the effects of Dust on the human body in a past life, so long ago that she could barely remember it. When she first began her schooling, before he reached out to her for help, before the accident with…</p><p>"Should we come back later?" One of the lab coats asked as they wrapped up the hose and began preparing for the next subject. She waved him off and smiled.</p><p>"You're more than welcome to continue," she informed him. "You!" The other flinched as she directed her demand at him. "Fetch my brother. I require his presence at the holding cell." The man nodded and was gone before he could agree to her request verbally. Grimm fed off of pain. They didn't seem to bleed. They could lose a limb or two for a short time before turning to Dust, with some of the stronger ones being capable of maintaining scars. How could she alter them as her grandfather had? He had created exploding Creeps, and coaxed possession Grimm into being housed in proper combat armor, which they were intelligent enough to operate! So what was she missing? And time seemed to continue to run out… This anxiety was annoying, but it wasn't as if she couldn't work through it. She had tried so many times to alter the DNA of the Grimm, perhaps it was time to try and add something new to the mix. Her creations to this point had all come from one of Abigor's loving gifts.</p><p>She had invented five new Grimm in total, a vat of Grimm liquid from Salem's realm had shown up on her doorstep long before she agreed to keep an eye on the Atlesian officer, and she immediately put it to good use, finding what worked and what didn't for making new Grimm. She had introduced ultrasonic sound to the birthing chamber, which provided her with the Camazotz, the large bat creature that she'd decided to keep the first of while letting the next several roam free in the countryside of Vale to see how they would act in the wild. They were territorial and had the worst habit of getting too close to Beacon. That's when their damn doctor first realized that something was off.</p><p>"You called for me?" Fenris stated as he cracked his neck. She smiled and nodded.</p><p>"I thought that you might want to join me in interrogating Nero," she informed him. Fenris frowned and sighed.</p><p>"You really think he's going to talk?" Fenris questioned. "That Jett woman told us to ask him where that stupid stone is, and I honestly don't think that he even has a clue."</p><p>"These Children of Salem know more than they let on, I'm sure she knows exactly where it is and just wants confirmation of its whereabouts," she mentioned as she left, expecting him to follow as she headed down the opposite hallway.</p><p>"If he hasn't spoken yet, why would he speak now?" Fenris inquired.</p><p>"You have to know your enemy, brother," She called back, passing cages upon cages of Grimm that she was keeping. The cages were far larger than they needed to be, and the Grimm didn't seem to mind as she kept them entertained and fed with animals and trespassers that came too close to the facility. She stopped short of the holding cell and placed her hand on the nose of a Sphinx that was lying close to the wall of its cage.</p><p>"You're doing what's best," Fenris assured her. "If a few have to die so that you can ensure the survivability of their race, it will be worth it."</p><p>"I know," Blood agreed. "I just hate that any of them have to die." She released her pet and continued a few more feet, making a sharp right and throwing open the large iron door that scraped the floor as it allowed them passage inside. It was pitch black, Fenris turned the light on as his sister sat in a wooden seat across from Nero who was most likely sleeping, his head rolled back but covered in a black cloth to prevent him from seeing anything. Silvia sat in silence for a long moment, noting the scars and gashes out of Nero's skin, the man had truly been doing everything in his willpower to keep the information to himself, but she was running out of patience.</p><p>"Wake up!" Fenris demanded, slamming his hands down on the captive's shoulders, causing him to startle and thrash before remembering his situation and giving a defeated sigh.</p><p>"What do you want?" Nero asked weakly.</p><p>"Out of strength already?" Silvia questioned. Nero gave a dry chuckle.</p><p>"Once General Branwen finds out where I am your little operation here is going to be taken from you a second time," Nero informed her.</p><p>"I'm surprised at how knowledgeable the Atlas Military is about my prior projects, considering the fact that they never found me," Silvia boasted. "Not to mention whatever information Alex gave them had to have been limited as only ten minutes passed between the time he entered the building and when Strakh made the decision to burn the place down."</p><p>"That's right, Strakh did that," Nero jested. "Destroyed your life's work. Must have made you pretty angry. Really pissed you off. And yet, here you are, helping him again."</p><p>"I do what needs to be done in order to satiate my needs," Silvia fired back.</p><p>"But I bet it still doesn't sit well," Nero added.</p><p>"And you would be correct, Mr. Creel," Silvia agreed. "But how I handle my enemies is my business, don't you think?"</p><p>"Then why agree to hold onto me?" Nero questioned. Silvia sighed and shook her head, nodding for Fenris to open the far door. He did so, revealing a small crate which he brought into the room, filling it with the sounds of hissing and rattling.</p><p>"You have information that my benefactor would like," Silvia reminded him. He groaned.</p><p>"For the last time, I don't know where the Stone of Life is," Nero spat.</p><p>"And we don't believe you," Fenris noted as he opened the crate.</p><p>"Have you ever been stung by a Death Stalker before?" Silvia inquired. "Don't answer that. Of course, you haven't, their venom is lethal. See, there's this great thing, however, about Baby Death Stalkers. Their sting won't kill you, it just burns badly enough that you wish you had. It doesn't last terribly long, but the despair from a single sting would probably cause them to sting you more. By my count, there's at least twenty in that crate."</p><p>"I won't tell you anything," Nero maintained. Silvia laughed.</p><p>"We'll see about that," Silvia argued as she stood. "Fenris, keep an eye on him. If he lasts more than an hour, give him a break so that the cumulative poison doesn't kill him. But you probably don't need to keep an eye on the time, he won't last that long anyway." He nodded.</p><p>"Of course," Fenris agreed, taking her seat. As Silvia left she could hear Nero's screams ringing out through the facility before she closed the door.</p><hr/><p>Yang walked into the living room of the small school-provided apartment, pacing back and forth slightly, feeling a pang of regret for not being able to get around to it sooner, but she knew ultimately that there was nothing she could have done about it with how busy they had been since the new school year had started. She leaned over the couch, giving Blake a kiss on the cheek who was reading one of her romance novels, totally engrossed until her spouse had made physical contact, and she allowed herself to be pulled away.</p><p>"Heading to the cliffside?" Blake asked as she marked her page, setting the book down and looking up to give her wife a proper kiss. Yang smiled warmly at her before nodding, letting out a long breath as she stared across the room.</p><p>"I haven't been out there since we buried her. It feels wrong that I have been putting it off for this long but I need to go see her," Yang admitted. Blake turned her body to face her, eyes caring and loving.</p><p>"We can wait until Tai has Shadow if you want, and I can go with you to make it easier," Blake offered, eliciting a head shake from Yang.</p><p>"Thanks, but I don't think I can wait any longer. It'll be hard enough as it is but I have to get this off my chest," Yang noted, looking up to see Shadow peeking into the room from around the corner.</p><p>"Mommy, are you going to go visit Grandma Raven?" Shadow inquired, visibly excited.</p><p>"Yes, Kitten, I'm going to go talk about some things," Yang explained to her. Shadow scrambled to the couch, jumping onto the cushion beside Blake so she could be eye to eye with her blonde parent.</p><p>"I made some drawings for Grandma, could you give them to her?" Shadow questioned. Yang was instantly choked up, the request catching her off guard as she let a small tear slip down her cheek. She bent down and kissed her daughter on the forehead, laughing and mussing up her hair.</p><p>"How about you grab your favorite drawing you've made her and I'll take you with so you can give it to her yourself?" Yang offered. Shadow's eyes lit up and she leapt into the air, exploding with joy.</p><p>"I'll hurry I promise!" She exclaimed, forming a clone that helped vault her over the back of the couch before disappearing promptly, the real one running off to her room. Yang smiled as she watched her daughter disappear around the corner, not seeing Blake who moved up next to her and put her arms around Yang's neck. Yang turned to look at her wife, placing her arms around her waist.</p><p>"This is going to make her week. Great idea," Blake noted as Yang smiled at her.</p><p>"She really misses her, it would be wrong if I didn't take her with me," Yang surmised. Blake kissed her gently.</p><p>"Shadow is lucky to have you as a mom," Blake pointed out. Yang chuckled.</p><p>"I think her other mom is pretty great too," Yang offered before kissing Blake back, the two of them becoming more and more involved in each other before breaking into a makeout session of sorts. Shadow came back around the corner once more from her room, carrying a small stack of drawings and looking them over.</p><p>"I couldn't decide which one I like more, is it ok if I bring all of them?" Shadow asked, admiring her work. She waited a moment for an answer and when she failed to receive one she looked up, catching the two of them in the act. "Hey! I'm too young for this! Now is not the time for kissing, we're going to go visit Grandma!" They both stop abruptly, with Yang laughing and Blake blushing, trying her hardest not to laugh.</p><p>"You're right, Honey, let's get going," Yang agreed, opening the door after Shadow put her shoes on. The girl rushed out the door and down the hall, watching for her mother to follow after her. Yang stepped out with a smile, admiring her daughter's excitement before looking back into the apartment at her wife who smirked warmly from behind the couch. "Once we get back and drop Shadow off with dad we are totally picking up where we left off." Blake walked across the living room, giving Yang a long kiss and caressing her cheek.</p><p>"Looking forward to it," Blake assured her.</p><p>"Mommy! Let's go!" Shadow shouted down the hall as she leapt up and down impatiently. Yang laughed before looking back at Blake whose eyes narrowed.</p><p>"Keep an eye on her," Blake pleaded.</p><p>"Of course," Yang answered.</p><hr/><p>Shadow danced about in the leaves as the breeze kicked them up in the clearing set aside among the forest that graced the cliffside where Summer and Raven rested. Yang hadn't seen any Grimm there or on the drive up, almost as if Raven's notoriety was supernatural, her presence securing the area for threats in a way that only she could have done in life. The cliff had seemed peaceful in the past, but this time was different. Yang knew that it was safe without a shadow of a doubt, enough that she could lose sight of Shadow and the girl would still be okay… not that she would… she would never allow that to happen. Not again.</p><p>Since Athena had died it had been hard adjusting back to a normal life, both she and Blake knew that the girl was perfectly safe at Tai's while they were teaching, but that fear that they had both lost almost decades ago was relearned and ate at both of them relentless, though Yang hid it better than Blake did. When the final bell dismissed them at the end of the day Blake let nothing stand between her leaving immediately and picking up Shadow. She didn't go to the store. She seldom stayed for staff meetings. She needed to have Shadow near her. Yang wanted to tell her that she could let down her guard a bit and relax, the Fang was gone for good this time… but who was to say someone or something else wouldn't come along? Yang knew it was irrational, but, this was their daughter they were talking about.</p><p>Blake loomed over Shadow when she knew Yang wasn't there, keeping the girl close, it was how she coped. But Yang… Yang had started training again, harder than she ever had, even prior to them taking down Salem. She couldn't be weak in front of Shadow, never again.</p><p>"Come on, mom!" Shadow called out dramatically as Yang lagged behind on the edge of the woods, never once taking her eyes off of the girl as she reached the opposite side of the meadow. "You're so slow!"</p><p>"I'm coming, I'm coming," Yang insisted, drawing no more than a roll of the eyes from Shadow.</p><p>"Ugh. You keep saying that, but you aren't getting any closer!" Shadow replied. Yang waved her off with a laugh.</p><p>"Her grave is just there at the crest, you don't have any more room to get ahead of me," Yang pointed out.</p><p>"Touché," Shadow called back. Yang looked at her puzzled.</p><p>"Where did you learn that word?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Sissy said it once when she was talking to Titus," Shadow explained, swaying back and forth as her mother drew closer. "I asked her what it meant."</p><p>"What did she say?" Yang questioned.</p><p>"It means the other person is right, but you're more right," Shadow noted. Yang shrugged and nodded. That about summed it up.</p><p>"You're too smart, you know that?" Yang inquired. Shadow nodded.</p><p>"I know," Shadow agreed as Yang reached her and tickled her. The girl giggled and fought to get away. "Careful, my drawings!"</p><p>"Sorry!" Yang exclaimed, releasing her. Shadow regained her footing and looked at them. "They okay?"</p><p>"Mmhmm," Shadow said, nodding her head. "Which one is Grandma Raven's again?"</p><p>"The one with the feather," Yang reminded her. Shadow walked up to it slowly, examining the stone before wrapping her arms around it and lowering her voice.</p><p>"Thank you," Shadow whispered. She set the drawings down carefully in front of the headstone, each of them depicting Raven and Shadow playing together with the exception of the one Shadow specifically placed on top, a child's crude drawing of two people fighting each other with red swords.</p><p>"Is that Grandma and Athena?" Yang questioned. Shadow nodded.</p><p>"Grandma Raven was so strong," Shadow recalled. "Will I be that strong one day?"</p><p>"I bet you'll be even stronger," Yang informed her. Shadow's eyes lit up.</p><p>"Is that possible?" Shadow pondered.</p><p>"Guess we'll have to wait and find out," Yang offered.</p><p>"I get to use her sword, right?" Shadow pressed.</p><p>"Maybe…" Yang stated.</p><p>"Aw, come on," Shadow groaned.</p><p>"You'll have to ask Blake," Yang informed her.</p><p>"I can make her say yes," Shadow giggled. "I have my ways." Yang laughed as the girl moved to Summer's grave and also gave the stone a hug. "I didn't bring any pictures for Grandma Summer."</p><p>"That's okay, you can bring her one next time," Yang suggested. Shadow thought it over and nodded.</p><p>"I will," Shadow agreed. "One of her and me and Grandma Raven!" Shadow's eyes lit up. "I can draw one of us all fighting Grimm!" Yang smiled and knelt down.</p><p>"I'm sure she'd like that," Yang managed as Shadow reached out and touched her face.</p><p>"You're crying," Shadow pointed out. "Are you okay, mommy?"</p><p>"Yes," Yang assured her, wiping the tears away that she hadn't noticed. "I just miss Raven."</p><p>"Then just think of the good times you had together," Shadow instructed. Yang's eyes narrowed and she nodded, sniffing hard and failing to find her feet. <em>I can't be weak in front of Shadow…</em></p><p>
  <em>Just think of the good times you had together…</em>
</p><p>"Right," Yang agreed, patting Shadow on the head.</p><p>
  <em>Mom… I'm sorry. For everything. I should have come and talked to you sooner, I just… I just don't know where to start or how to. I should have done this while you were still here, but I guess there's nothing we can do about it now. I know you're here, I can feel it. So I guess this will have to do. I talked to dad countless times and I still can't believe you were trying to make it right. You deserved better than the constant cold shoulder I was giving you, but it was hard forgiving you. But I do. Forgive you that is. I think I forgave you even before you saved Shadow.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I can't thank you enough for that. If you hadn't come back Athena would have gotten away with her and… I don't want to think about what would have happened if she had. I really am at a loss for words over it. So… with that out of the way, maybe I should start over? Pity aside that is.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>How have you been? I would have come out sooner, but I was nervous and boy have things been busy at the school since the attack. I thought that we were really overworking those kids last year, but that's nothing compared to the curriculum that Glynda and Coco came up with for this year. I get it though, if it happens again they need to be ready, more ready than they were last time. Something is coming, something that Ozpin took to his grave, and if we aren't ready for it, it might end up like when Salem attacked. They're just kids… I don't know if they can handle it…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I wish you were still here so I could ask you what to do about Neela. You were full of wisdom, even if things weren't the best between us. She's having a rough time since Eliana left, I still can't figure it out myself even. That girl only did what she thought was the right thing, and Neela even forgave her for it, but I guess that's something she just has to work out. Neela just can't see it, and I wish that we could make it better for her, but nothing we tell her seems to get through. It's not like we did anything wrong, or there's anything we could have changed. You'd know what to tell her, but without you here, we'll just have to trust her as our daughter to make it through. Heh. Normally I'd ask Summer for advice with this sort of thing, but this just felt right, you know?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm scared. So is Blake. We have no reason to be, but after what happened… It's a natural response, right? I…</em>
</p><p>Shadow wrapped her arms around Yang.</p><p>"I love you, mommy," Shadow told her. Yang held her for a long moment, the breeze picking up again, washing them over and calming her.</p><p>
  <em>But I can't be scared. You're right.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I love you, mom.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Will Nero stay quiet? Next week, Chapter 32: Trust!</p><p>A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.</p><p>Until next week, stay classy!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/silent-celica/favourites/71533661/nite-a-beacon-story">Click here to see the art!</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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